https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies

Replying to @DavidRayAmos @alllibertynews and 49 others

Methinks Margot Cragg and her hubby Cardy should explain to his boss Higgy why he should make NB Power quit overcharging the municipalities for street lights before the vote on the Throne Speech N'esy Pas?

https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2020/11/municipalities-accuse-nb-power-of-over.html

#cdnpoli #nbpoli

ht tps://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/union-eub-nb-power-street-light-rate-increase-1.4588727

Methinks Higgy's buddy Cardy changes his tune way too often and no doubt the wife he left behind in Katmandu many moons ago no doubt agrees with me N'esy Pas?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxPo4OvbYmc

Dominic Cardy on honesty and accountability from our political leaders

184 views

Nov 29, 2013

NBNDP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozt84CfpZ-Q

Fairness For Pensioners

Aug 23, 2014

NBNDP

ht tps://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/union-eub-nb-power-street-light-rate-increase-1.4588727

Municipalities accuse NB Power of over-charging for street-light service

Margot Cragg says EUB should make the utility adhere to the rate standard the board set

Gail Harding · CBC News · Posted: Mar 23, 2018 7:33 PM AT

The Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick executive director Margot Cragg says NB Power is charging municipalities too much for street lights. (CBC)

The Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick says NB Power needs to stop raising the rates it charges for street lights.

In fact, executive director Margot Cragg said the utility not only needs to stop raising rates — it needs to reduce them.

Cragg says the EUB should make NB Power follow the standard it set for rate charges for street lights. (Cindy Grant/CBC)

Cragg made a presentation to the Energy and Utilities Board in early February after the City of Fredericton wrote a letter about the rates for street lights and the union decided to take on the fight for all municipalities.

"For Fredericton, the cost in 2017 was over a million dollars," she said. "For other municipalities in the area, like Oromocto, it was $340,000 and even for a rural community like Hanwell, it was over $41,000 … that's a pretty hefty bill."

Cragg said money spent on street lights can't be spent elsewhere.

Another increase

She added the EUB has set a standard to determine the charges to each rate class.

"So what the EUB has said is that the rate charge for each class should be about equal to the cost of supply of the service, within a range of reasonableness."

But Cragg said NB Power is proposing to increase it to 195 per cent of that cost.

"That's almost double the cost of actually providing the service."

Cragg pointed out the present rate is too high and has been getting worse year over year. She said in 2015-2016 it was 176 per cent of the cost of supplying the service.

In 2017-2018 it was 192 per cent of the cost.

"That cost to revenue ratio has been getting worse year over year," Cragg said, adding that if the proposed rate is accepted, the ratio will be even more punitive.

'Optional' service

At its rate hearing last year, NB Power said it considered street light service optional and not subject to the EUB's fair price guidelines. It also said the higher prices it charges for street lights help it to keep prices it charges other customers, such as homeowners, lower.

At hearings this week, both public intervener Heather Black and EUB lawyer Ellen Desmond pressed NB Power rate design managers to explain why they ignore the board's fair price guidelines in setting charges for both street lights and water heater rentals.

"NB Power doesn't really view street lights as a rate class," said the utility's rate design specialist Kevin Gibson. But he said it would follow whatever direction the EUB gives it on the issue.

Follow the standard

Cragg said it's up to the EUB to make NB Power follow the standard it set.

"What the heck, you've set a standard for what should be charged for each rate class, this is pretty clearly not falling within that, what are you going to do about it?"

Cragg said the group asked the EUB to set the rate at one that provides fair pricing for street-lighting services within all municipalities.

"Any dollar that is spent on excessive pricing for street lighting is money the municipality can't spend fixing the road, can't spend on the water services, can't spend on the services and infrastructure you and I use every single day in our communities," she said.

With files from Information Morning Fredericton

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices

---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2020 15:29:53 -0400
Subject: Fwd: RE Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design Your pal Margot
Cragg or her hubby Cardy and all his political buddies should have
explained to you what happened before the last election
To: vilbal@nbnet.nb.ca, info@shippagan.ca, villageofalma@gmail.com,
info@st-louis-de-kent.ca, info@bouctouche.ca, vtrcto@nbnet.nb.ca,
info@tracadienb.ca, vilstmar@nbnet.nb.ca, clerk@hanwell.nb.ca,
megan@townofhampton.ca, richard.malone@townofhampton.ca,
vgs-tgf@nb.aibn.com, john@towngbw.ca, vstanley@nbnet.nb.ca,
jason.gaudet@town.stgeorge.nb.ca, info@shediac.ca,
ville@saintquentin.nb.ca, info@saint-leonard.ca,
town@townofstandrews.ca, info@lameque.ca, townhall@nackawic.com
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>, "mary.wilson"
<mary.wilson@gnb.ca>, "sherry.wilson" <sherry.wilson@gnb.ca>,
"robert.gauvin" <robert.gauvin@gnb.ca>, "robert.mckee"
<robert.mckee@gnb.ca>, "Ross.Wetmore" <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>,
"Roger.L.Melanson" <roger.l.melanson@gnb.ca>, "kris.austin"
<kris.austin@gnb.ca>, "Arseneau, Kevin (LEG)"
<kevin.a.arseneau@gnb.ca>, "Mark.Blakely"
<Mark.Blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, "ron.tremblay2"
<ron.tremblay2@gmail.com>, "Mitton, Megan (LEG)" <megan.mitton@gnb.ca>

---------- Original message ----------
From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)" <Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca>
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2020 14:31:05 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: RE Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design
Your pal Margot Cragg or her hubby Cardy and all his political buddies
should have explained to you what happened before the last election
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

Thank you for taking the time to write to us.

Due to the high volume of emails that we receive daily, please note
that there may be a delay in our response. Thank you for your
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visit www.gnb.ca/coronavirus<http://www.gnb.ca/coronavirus>.

If this is a Media Request, please contact the Premier’s office at
(506) 453-2144.

Thank you.

Bonjour,

Nous vous remercions d’avoir pris le temps de nous écrire.

Tenant compte du volume élevé de courriels que nous recevons
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Office of the Premier/Cabinet du premier ministre
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Email/Courriel:
premier@gnb.ca/premierministre@gnb.ca<mailto:premier@gnb.ca/premier.ministre@gnb.ca>

---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2020 10:31:00 -0400
Subject: RE Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design Your pal Margot
Cragg or her hubby Cardy and all his political buddies should have
explained to you what happened before the last election
To: amanb@nb.aibn.com, margot.cragg@umnb.ca, hart@oromocto.ca,
shelley.morton@moncton.ca, gilles.belleau@shediac.ca,
john.crsa@nb.aibn.com, clerk@townofriverview.ca,
chantal.dube@edmundston.ca, cao@florencevillebristol.ca,
office@vonm.ca, quispamsis@quispamsis.ca, clerk@miramichi.org,
municipalite@bascaraquet.com, lebrun@nb.aibn.com,
info@beaubassinest.ca, paul.lang@csrk.ca, charline@8citiesnb.com,
dg@afmnb.org, ryan.donaghy@gnb.ca, jennifer.thompson@gnb.ca,
info@dieppe.ca, denis.bujold@gnb.ca, patrick.jeune@snb.ca,
patrick.jeune@gnb.ca, info@csrno.ca, info@commission2.ca,
jocelyne.hachey@csrchaleursc.ca, melaniethibodeau@csrpa.ca,
wbell@rsc5.ca, gerard.belliveau@nbse.ca, info@rsc8.ca, info@frsc.ca,
hollis.bartlett@snbsc.ca, dfitz@rsc11.ca, katelyn.mcgrath@rsc12.ca,
info@gssc-cesb.ca
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>, "terry.seguin"
<terry.seguin@cbc.ca>, cindy.stewart@miramichi.org,
peggy.doyle@miramichi.org, paul.mcgraw@miramichi.org,
"michelle.conroy" <michelle.conroy@gnb.ca>, jgillies@stu.ca,
lturnbul@dal.ca, "sylvie.gadoury" <sylvie.gadoury@radio-canada.ca>,
"blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, "Holland, Mike (LEG)"
<mike.holland@gnb.ca>

Danielle Charron
Executive Director
Association of Municipal Administrators of New Brunswick
20, Courtney Street
Douglas, NB, E3G 8A1
Telephone: 506-453-4229
Fax: 506-444-5452
E-mail: amanb@nb.aibn.com

http://www.amanb-aamnb.ca/Board-of-Directors

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/union-eub-nb-power-street-light-rate-increase-1.4588727

Municipalities accuse NB Power of over-charging for street-light service
Margot Cragg says EUB should make the utility adhere to the rate
standard the board set

Gail Harding · CBC News · Posted: Mar 23, 2018 7:33 PM AT

IN THE MATTER OF an application by New Brunswick Power Corporation for
approval of the schedules of the rates for the fiscal year commencing
April 1, 2018.

Public Session
held at the Delta Hotel, Saint John, New Brunswick, on February 7th
2018 at 6:00 p.m.

BEFORE: Francois Beaulieu - Vice-Chairman
Michael Costello - Member
Patrick Ervin - Member

NB Energy and Utilities Board
- Counsel - Ms. Ellen Desmond, Q.C.
- Staff - David Young
- John Lawton
- Michael Dickie

Henneberry Reporting Service
INDEX
Ross Galbraith – page 12
David Amos – page 30
Margot Cragg – page 44
Stephen Hartley – page 50
Josee Bourque – page 55
Larry Shaw – page 65
David Beauvais – page 71
Keelen Gagnon – page 79

VICE-CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Amos. So our
next presenter is Margot Cragg from the Union of Municipalities of New
Brunswick? Ms. Cragg?
MS. CRAGG: Thank you very much. And I promise to take considerably
less than 21 minutes.
So -- and again, thank you very much for the opportunity to speak
here today.
As you mentioned, my name is Margot Cragg and I am here on behalf
of the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick.
Now the focus of our presentation is the cost of service and
proposed increase for the rate class street lights and unmetered.
Specifically, NB Power is requesting a 2 percent average increase in
rates effective April 1st 2018, including a 2 percent increase for
street lights. At specific issue is the revenue to cost ratio for
street lights when compared with the range of reasonableness as
defined by the EUB.
So as background, the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick or
UMNB represents 61 member municipalities and rural communities
throughout New Brunswick. UMNB advocates on behalf of our members
with the goal of building strong sustainable and viable municipalities
throughout our province.
Most New Brunswick municipalities rely on NB Power for street
lights. And according to the City of Fredericton's document -- and
thanks to my colleague who is on the phone right now -- municipalities
provide street lights in a variety of forms. So for lights and davits
installed on utility poles owned by NB Power and/or Bell Aliant which
are rented on a monthly basis from NB Power at unmetered rates
depending on the wattage, if the pole on which the light is mounted is
only used for street lights there is a fee for the -- rental fee for
the pole as well. Lights and poles also owned by municipalities, such
as decorative lights, NB Power provides electricity on either -- on a
metered or unmetered basis. And there are other lights operated by NB
-- New Brunswick's Department of Transportation and infrastructure
along major highways.
So in many communities well-lit roads are considered a rather
important part of safety for both the drivers and pedestrians. Street
lighting is also one of municipalities more expensive bills. For a
city like Fredericton, the approximate cost of street lighting in 2017
was over a million dollars. For a town like Sackville, the cost was
approximately $157,000 or two and a half cents on a 2017 property tax
rate of $1.55 per $100 of assessment paid by residents like you and I.
For a small village like Tide Head with a population of less than
1,000 people, street lights cost approximately $40,000 or 4.24 percent
of its 2017 operating budget. And even for an incorporated rural
municipality like Hanwell, the street lights cost approximately over
$41,000.
While a small number of municipalities operate their own
electrical service, the vast majority of municipalities do not have
the option of shopping around for a better deal and must rely on NB
Power for their street lights. For this reason the existing cost of
service and the proposed increase being discussed at this rate hearing
are of significant interest to UMNB's members.
In its 2016 decision -- by the way, I seem to be cutting in and
out. In the event that you can't hear me please let me know.
In its 2016 decision on Matter 271, the EUB stated -- and I will
quote -- on a system wide basis the revenues to be obtained through
approved rates from all customer classes should be equal to the sum of
the cost apportionments for each customer class. To state this
another way, the system revenue to cost ratio should equal 1.0 or
unity. In theory, a revenue to cost ratio of 1.0 should apply for
each class. There may be valid reasons however why rates would
produce projected revenues higher than allocated costs for some
classes offset by rates for other classes that will produce revenues
lower than allocated costs.
In a decision of December 21st 2005, the New Brunswick Board of
Commissioners of Public Utilities indicated that a long-term range of
.95 to -- to 1.05 for the revenue to cost ratio for each class is
reasonable. This continues to be the view of the Board. In other
words, the EUB has already stated that the rate charged to each rate
class should be approximately equal to the cost of supplying the
service with a range of reasonableness of .95 to 1.05 or 95 to 105
percent. I note that NB Power acknowledged the range of
reasonableness in its document evidence presented as part of the
current general rate application.
In section 10.1 it states that the goal is to adjust rates such
that the revenue to cost ratio for each class is within the range of
reasonableness of -- .95 and 1.05 according to the evidence presented
by NB Power as part of this -- this Matter. However, the revenue to
cost ratio for street lights is significantly outside that range of
reasonableness. This is an understatement.
According to NB Power's document evidence in table 9.1(a), the
recommended 2018/19 CCA asset uniform 2 percent rates, the revenue to
cost ratio for street lights and unmetered based on NB Power's
proposed rate would be 1.954 or 195 percent. In other words, NB Power
is proposing to bill almost double the cost of providing the service.
Furthermore, contrary to EUB's direction, the revenue to cost ratio
for street lights is getting worse not better. According to documents
from past EUB matters, recent revenue to cost ratios were as follows.
In 2015 to 2016, 1.76 or 176 percent of costs. In 2017 to 2018,
1.915 or 192 percent of costs. And once again, in the current
proposed rates, 1.954 or 195 percent of costs.
In short, the recent current and proposed revenue to cost ratios
for street lighting are unreasonable by the EUB's own standard. It
begs the question why the EUB approved rate increases that made this
disparity worse despite its part direction. And based on the numbers
presented, it appears municipalities are being egregiously over billed
for this service. This has significant financial implications for
municipalities and it affects their capacity to provide other services
that citizens need and expect.
Money spent on excessive costs for street lighting is money that
cannot be spent on well-maintained roads or parks or on essential
services like waste management and public safety that people rely on.
It's also money that ultimately comes from residents in the form of
taxes.
NB Power's 2018 -- 2017 to 2018 evidence document in section 11.0
stated that differential rate increases were not considered for street
lights because their services are optional services for customers and
benefit the other customer classes through their contribution to net
earnings. That statement suggests that New Brunswick's towns,
villages, cities and rural communities are expressly being over
charged for street lighting to subsidize other rate classes and to
improve NB Power's bottom line. This is unjust and is not consistent
with the principle of the range of reasonableness.
Furthermore, the definition of optional in this case is not
reasonable. We live in a province where daylight hours are limited
for a significant part of each year and where the standard work and
school day in winter often starts and ends in the dark. To assess
whether street lights are genuinely simply optional for municipalities
that -- for the municipalities that provide them, please imagine the
impact on safety and public opinion if a city decided to save money by
turning off the lights on a busy road or consider the impact of street
lights on the safety of pedestrians such as children walking home from
school or woman walking alone in the dark.
In summary, the cost of revenue ratio for streetlighting is
significantly and disproportionately outside the range of
reasonableness identified by the EUB. The disparity has worsened over
time, rather than improving. Contrary to past direction, the
disparity imposes a significant financial burden on municipalities and
the proposed 2 percent increase for 2018 and 2019 would exacerbate
rather than correcting that problem.
So our request and recommendation is that the EUB direct NB Power
to adjust the rates for streetlights and unmetered from 2018 onward to
a level that provide fair pricing for streetlight service within all
municipalities. So, thank you. I suspect, as mentioned, that's less
than 21 minutes. And are there any questions?
VICE-CHAIRMAN: No. Thank you, Ms. Cragg, for your presentation and
we will consider your comments.
MS. CRAGG: Thank you very much.

---------- Original message ----------
From: "Faruqui, Ahmad" <Ahmad.Faruqui@brattle.com>
Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2020 16:18:47 +0000
Subject: RE: Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design / Instance Nº 357 -
Énergie NB - Établissement des tarifs
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>, "Mitchell, Kathleen"
<Kathleen.Mitchell@nbeub.ca>
Cc: "louis-philippe.gauthier@cfib.ca"
<louis-philippe.gauthier@cfib.ca>, "david.sollows@gnb.ca"
<david.sollows@gnb.ca>, "david.russell@gnb.ca" <david.russell@gnb.ca>,
"Gilles.volpe@libertyutilities.com"
<Gilles.volpe@libertyutilities.com>, "Paul.Volpe@libertyutilities.com"
<Paul.Volpe@libertyutilities.com>, "dave.lavigne@libertyutilities.com"
<dave.lavigne@libertyutilities.com>, "Hoyt, Len"
<len.hoyt@mcinnescooper.com>, "jeffery.callaghan@mcinnescooper.com"
<jeffery.callaghan@mcinnescooper.com>, "rzarumba@ceadvisors.com"
<rzarumba@ceadvisors.com>, "gerald@kissnb.com" <gerald@kissnb.com>,
"cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com" <cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com>,
"hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com" <hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com>,
"lcozzarini@nbpower.com" <lcozzarini@nbpower.com>,
"jfurey@nbpower.com" <jfurey@nbpower.com>, "srussell@nbpower.com"
<srussell@nbpower.com>, "wharrison@nbpower.com"
<wharrison@nbpower.com>, "NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com"
<NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com>, "SWaycott@nbpower.com"
<SWaycott@nbpower.com>, "bcrawford@nbpower.com"
<bcrawford@nbpower.com>, "George.Porter@nbpower.com"
<George.Porter@nbpower.com>, NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>,
"Desmond, Ellen" <ecdesmond@nbeub.ca>, "Dickie, Michael"
<Michael.Dickie@nbeub.ca>, "Lawton, John" <John.Lawton@nbeub.ca>,
"Young, Dave" <Dave.Young@nbeub.ca>, "Bourbonnais, Cecile"
<Cecile.Bourbonnais@brattle.com>, "heather.black@gnb.ca"
<heather.black@gnb.ca>, "rdk@indecon.com" <rdk@indecon.com>,
"rrichard@nb.aibn.com" <rrichard@nb.aibn.com>,
"sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com" <sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com>,
"margot.cragg@umnb.ca" <margot.cragg@umnb.ca>,
"jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com" <jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com>,
"dan.dionne@perth-andover.com" <dan.dionne@perth-andover.com>,
"pierreroy@edmundston.ca" <pierreroy@edmundston.ca>,
"ray.robinson@sjenergy.com" <ray.robinson@sjenergy.com>,
"sstoll@airdberlis.com" <sstoll@airdberlis.com>,
"pzarnett@bdrenergy.com" <pzarnett@bdrenergy.com>,
"leducjr@nb.sympatico.ca" <leducjr@nb.sympatico.ca>

Greetings!

I am attaching a presentation that might interest some of you. It
discusses the forces that are shaping the future of electric
utilities. These forces are going to disrupt the existing utility
business model. In order to get ahead of change, utilities will have
to make significant changes in how they price electricity.

Comments welcome.

Ahmad

AHMAD FARUQUI, Ph.D.
Principal
The Brattle Group

201 Mission Street
Suite 2800
San Francisco, CA 94105

Direct +1.415.217.1026
Mobile +1.925.408.0149
Main +1.415.217.1000

Sr. Administrative Assistant
Hadia Popal | +1.415.217.1081

brattle.com

-----Original Message-----
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2020 8:13 AM
To: Mitchell, Kathleen <Kathleen.Mitchell@nbeub.ca>
Cc: louis-philippe.gauthier@cfib.ca; david.sollows@gnb.ca;
david.russell@gnb.ca; Gilles.volpe@libertyutilities.com;
Paul.Volpe@libertyutilities.com; dave.lavigne@libertyutilities.com;
Hoyt, Len <len.hoyt@mcinnescooper.com>;
jeffery.callaghan@mcinnescooper.com; rzarumba@ceadvisors.com;
gerald@kissnb.com; cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com;
hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com; lcozzarini@nbpower.com;
jfurey@nbpower.com; srussell@nbpower.com; wharrison@nbpower.com;
NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com; SWaycott@nbpower.com;
bcrawford@nbpower.com; George.Porter@nbpower.com; NBEUB/CESPNB
<General@nbeub.ca>; Desmond, Ellen <ecdesmond@nbeub.ca>; Dickie,
Michael <Michael.Dickie@nbeub.ca>; Lawton, John
<John.Lawton@nbeub.ca>; Young, Dave <Dave.Young@nbeub.ca>; Faruqui,
Ahmad <Ahmad.Faruqui@brattle.com>; Bourbonnais, Cecile
<Cecile.Bourbonnais@brattle.com>; heather.black@gnb.ca;
rdk@indecon.com; rrichard@nb.aibn.com; sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com;
margot.cragg@umnb.ca; jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com;
dan.dionne@perth-andover.com; pierreroy@edmundston.ca;
ray.robinson@sjenergy.com; sstoll@airdberlis.com;
pzarnett@bdrenergy.com; leducjr@nb.sympatico.ca
Subject: Re: Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design / Instance Nº 357 -
Énergie NB - Établissement des tarifs

Good Day

I wish o remind the EUB et al that I took no part in the creation of
any "strawman" report and also have quoted from the transcript of when
we last met to discuss this matter on the Public Record

Sincerely
david Raymond Amos

----------Original message ----------
From: "Young, Dave" <Dave.Young@nbeub.ca>
Date: Fri, 27 Sep 2019 14:47:16 +0000
Subject: Comments on the Brattle draft
To: "louis-philippe.gauthier@cfib.ca"
<louis-philippe.gauthier@cfib.ca>, "David.Raymond.Amos333@gmail.com"
<David.Raymond.Amos333@gmail.com>, "david.sollows@gnb.ca"
<david.sollows@gnb.ca>, "david.russell@gnb.ca" <david.russell@gnb.ca>,
"Gilles.volpe@enbridge.com" <Gilles.volpe@enbridge.com>,
"Paul.Volpe@enbridge.com" <Paul.Volpe@enbridge.com>,
"dave.lavigne@enbridge.com" <dave.lavigne@enbridge.com>, "Hoyt, Len"
<len.hoyt@mcinnescooper.com>, "jeffery.callaghan@mcinnescooper.com"
<jeffery.callaghan@mcinnescooper.com>, "rzarumba@ceadvisors.com"
<rzarumba@ceadvisors.com>, "gerald@kissnb.com" <gerald@kissnb.com>,
"cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com" <cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com>,
"hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com" <hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com>,
"lcozzarini@nbpower.com" <lcozzarini@nbpower.com>,
"jfurey@nbpower.com" <jfurey@nbpower.com>, "srussell@nbpower.com"
<srussell@nbpower.com>, "wharrison@nbpower.com"
<wharrison@nbpower.com>, "NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com"
<NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com>, "NConnellyBosse@nbpower.com"
<NConnellyBosse@nbpower.com>, "SWaycott@nbpower.com"
<SWaycott@nbpower.com>, "bcrawford@nbpower.com"
<bcrawford@nbpower.com>, "George.Porter@nbpower.com"
<George.Porter@nbpower.com>, NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>,
"Desmond, Ellen" <ecdesmond@nbeub.ca>, "Dickie, Michael"
<Michael.Dickie@nbeub.ca>, "Lawton, John" <John.Lawton@nbeub.ca>,
"Young, Dave" <Dave.Young@nbeub.ca>, "Mitchell, Kathleen"
<Kathleen.Mitchell@nbeub.ca>, "Ahmad.Faruqui@brattle.com"
<Ahmad.Faruqui@brattle.com>, "Cecile.Bourbonnais@brattle.com"
<Cecile.Bourbonnais@brattle.com>, "heather.black@gnb.ca"
<heather.black@gnb.ca>, "rdk@indecon.com" <rdk@indecon.com>,
"rrichard@nb.aibn.com" <rrichard@nb.aibn.com>,
"sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com" <sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com>,
"margot.cragg@umnb.ca" <margot.cragg@umnb.ca>,
"jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com" <jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com>,
"dan.dionne@perth-andover.com" <dan.dionne@perth-andover.com>,
"pierreroy@edmundston.ca" <pierreroy@edmundston.ca>,
"ray.robinson@sjenergy.com" <ray.robinson@sjenergy.com>,
"sstoll@airdberlis.com" <sstoll@airdberlis.com>,
"pzarnett@bdrenergy.com" <pzarnett@bdrenergy.com>,
"leducjr@nb.sympatico.ca" <leducjr@nb.sympatico.ca>

Board staff have only one comment related to the draft report. We
believe it is important to that during the discussion of scorecard
that it be mentioned that some parties, including Board Staff, did not
participate in the scoring exercise.

David Young
Senior Advisor
New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board
(506)643-7573

October 12th 10 2018.

CHAIRMAN: “I think it really goes back almost to the first 5 question
that appeared in our August 23rd letter was 6 whether or not the
matter should be commenced anew or if 7 the existing evidentiary
record continues.”

MR. AMOS Yes. The record of this matter clearly shows it's been
delayed long enough. I -- as you know, I opposed when it was adjourned
or whatever in 2017. I believe it should begin right where we left
off. We already went through the first round of interrogatories, or
however you say the word. Right now the current government has
promised to freeze the rates for four years. NB Power has a huge
problem. We don't know who has the next mandate. But if the current
government maintains that mandate, I am surprised to see that you are
the Chair of the Board. I thought that you were gone, but apparently
you have been reappointed. Anyway, I think we should begin where we
left off. All the documents that are in the records should be added
to. There is no need to consult with anyone. The matter is clear. NB
Power has to come up with a way to design rates that satisfies the
Board, and the government and the people of this province. I think we
should start again right now.”

CHAIRMAN: Okay. Just to clarify then. You are suggesting that NB Power
really put forward their position on where this should go before we --
we would engage all of the parties with an independent facilitator to
talk about the strawman, if you will, that they have put up?

MR. STEWART: Right. And I would think that it would be -- I think a
strawman is an appropriate characterization that -- I mean, I -- in
that context, you know, whether it is a without prejudice proposal or
one subject to further discussion, but in order for the technical
conference that they propose to actually really achieve substantive
results quickly about defining the scope and what order and what time
table, we have to start somewhere. And any discussion is going to
start with the utility. So if they want to have a technical conference
to decide where their rate design application should go, then it seems
to me that they should come forward with some basic proposals of --
you know, the easy and obvious example is both the existing
evidentiary record and the rationale for the adjournment, you know,
turn on AMI.
And so there is not much point in us talking about where we will go
with rate design necessarily if that is in immediate play. So there is
some very basic unanswered questions that in order for a technical
conference to succeed on a reasonable time table, the utility needs to
come forward and give us that information to make a proposal as to
where they see it going, what their strawman is and then we can all
sit down and work froM that.

CHAIRMAN: Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Union of Municipalities 16 of New
Brunswick, Ms. Cragg?

MS. CRAGG: Thank you. I will speak specifically to the question of
whether the matter should be commenced anew or if the existing
evidentiary record suffices. As a new intervener, our evidence and
information would not be included in that record. And so it is
certainly our opinion that there should be an opportunity for us to
present additional information. I will note that it was at the order
of the Board in Matter 375 that the issues presented by the Union of
Municipalities of New Brunswick at that -- at the rate application be
dealt with in this rate hearing. So the ability to present
information, to present our evidence to this rate design hearing is
quite important for it to be able to be considered in a genuine way.
So we would support the folks who have spoken previously and indicated
there should be an opportunity for a new hearing rather than
continuing purely on the basis of what was already presented.

CHAIRMAN: Maybe I can clarify that for you a little bit. The proposal
really was whether or not the existing record would continue with the
probability of new or additional evidence from NB Power and then the
opportunity for evidence from interveners. And so at this stage, no
matter which way we proceed, you would have an opportunity to file
evidence in this matter.

MS. CRAGG: I think that -- I think that my statement in support of the
previous speakers still stands but I appreciate that clarification.

CHAIRMAN: Okay. Thank you. Utilities Municipal, Mr. Stoll?

MR. STOLL: Good morning, Mr. Chair. There are I guess a few points. We
think there is some value in retaining the 1 evidentiary record and
then expanding on it. So I guess you would phrase that as a
continuation rather than starting anew.
In your exchange with Mr. Stewart regarding like a strawman type
approach, there may be some benefit in that. From a general
perspective, and I think this was evident in the letter we wrote in
August, is we see a need for some rescoping more to a kind of a
broader approach to really provide some of the benefit we think this
hearing should be trying to achieve. I think if you look at some of
the evidence that was filed, Mr. Christensen in the Christensen
report, that it raises some fundamental issues around rate
classification and where NB Power sits regarding the industry at large
and some other issues. I think also he raises some other questions
about the philosophy behind the approach to rates and rate setting.
And we also saw in 375 that rates -- and this was in the Dunsky report
-- that rates and rate policies such as net metering impact investment
decisions. I think that is one of the concerns my client has is we are
in the business of long-term investments, the dynamics are changing
and we need a rate structure that is going to be predictable for the
longer term and is going to send signals that achieves the objectives
we want. So we would like to continue.
We don't see this as a three month or a four month exercise in coming
to a decision. We see this as there may be some things that we can
deal with in the short-term. But we do feel that this -- to do things
right that this will be a longer term process. And that it may take a
year or in excess of a year to go through each of the various
components and come to resolution. And there may be a bit of an
iterative approach I think as we started down the path. We went to the
Christensen report and there were some issues raised. And so as we
take some steps forward, we may learn some things that we hadn't
considered before. So I think the parties should be aware of that and
they should be expecting that.
And with respect to collaboration and facilitation, we are in support
of that. We do agree that there would be benefit of an independence in
the facilitation. That it is not just one party's facilitator. That it
is a neutral facilitator that is helping guide the various parties
through the process. I think those are my submissions.

CHAIRMAN: “Thank you, Mr. Stoll. And I have to say that I think your
letter that we received in August was very helpful and obviously you
had put a lot of time in to thinking that one through.’
******************

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---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2020 16:42:56 -0300
Subject: Fwd: Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design / Instance Nº 357
- Énergie NB - Établissement des tarifs
To: oldmaison@yahoo.com, Dominic.Cardy@gnb.ca, chris@duffie.ca,
ron.tremblay2@gmail.com, aadnc.minister.aandc@canada.ca,
jake.stewart@gnb.ca, andre@jafaust.com, rick.desaulniers@gnb.ca,
kris.austin@gnb.ca, michelle.conroy@gnb.ca, "David.Coon"
<David.Coon@gnb.ca>, "Mitton, Megan (LEG)" <megan.mitton@gnb.ca>,
"Arseneau, Kevin (LEG)" <kevin.a.arseneau@gnb.ca>, "Kevin.Vickers"
<Kevin.Vickers@gnb.ca>, Kevin.leahy@rcmp-grc.gc.ca,
Dale.Morgan@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, "dan. bussieres" <dan.bussieres@gnb.ca>,
"serge.rousselle" <serge.rousselle@gnb.ca>, "greg.byrne"
<greg.byrne@gnb.ca>, "Jack.Keir" <Jack.Keir@gnb.ca>, "tyler.campbell"
<tyler.campbell@gnb.ca>, "jeff.carr" <jeff.carr@gnb.ca>,
bob.atwin@nb.aibn.com, jjatwin@gmail.com, markandcaroline
<markandcaroline@gmail.com>, sheppardmargo@gmail.com,
jordan.gill@cbc.ca, "steve.murphy" <steve.murphy@ctv.ca>, "David.Akin"
<David.Akin@globalnews.ca>, "Newsroom \"Furey, John\""
<jfurey@nbpower.com>, "robert.gauvin" <robert.gauvin@gnb.ca>,
"Ross.Wetmore" <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>, "Shane.Fowler"
<Shane.Fowler@cbc.ca>, "robert.mckee" <robert.mckee@gnb.ca>,
"rob.moore" <rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, "Wilson, Sherry Hon.(SNB)"
<Sherry.Wilson@snb.ca>, "Shawn @ The Manatee" <shawn@themanatee.net>,
"mary.wilson" <mary.wilson@gnb.ca>, "bruce.northrup"
<bruce.northrup@gnb.ca>, "bruce.fitch" <bruce.fitch@gnb.ca>,
"carl.urquhart" <carl.urquhart@gnb.ca>, "huras.adam"
<huras.adam@brunswicknews.com>, "hugh.flemming"
<hugh.flemming@gnb.ca>, "Andrew.Harvey" <andrew.harvey@gnb.ca>,
"Anderson-Mason, Andrea Hon. (JAG/JPG)" <Andrea.AndersonMason@gnb.ca>
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)" <Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca>
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2020 19:27:30 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design YO
Mikey Holland Need I say that I am not impresssed nor am I one bit
surprised?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

Thank you for taking the time to write to us.

Due to the high volume of emails that we receive daily, please note
that there may be a delay in our response. Thank you for your
understanding.

If you are looking for current information on Coronavirus, please
visit www.gnb.ca/coronavirus<http://www.gnb.ca/coronavirus>.

If this is a Media Request, please contact the Premier’s office at
(506) 453-2144.

Thank you.

Bonjour,

Nous vous remercions d’avoir pris le temps de nous écrire.

Tenant compte du volume élevé de courriels que nous recevons
quotidiennement, il se peut qu’il y ait un délai dans notre réponse.
Nous vous remercions de votre compréhension.

Si vous recherchez des informations à jour sur le coronavirus,
veuillez visiter
www.gnb.ca/coronavirus<http://www.gnb.ca/coronavirus>.

S’il s’agit d’une demande des médias, veuillez communiquer avec le
Cabinet du premier ministre au 506-453-2144.

Merci.

Office of the Premier/Cabinet du premier ministre
P.O Box/C. P. 6000
Fredericton, New-Brunswick/Nouveau-Brunswick
E3B 5H1
Canada
Tel./Tel. : (506) 453-2144
Email/Courriel: premier@gnb.ca/premier.ministre@gnb.ca

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Russell, David (DTI/MTI)" <David.Russell@gnb.ca>
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2020 19:27:34 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design YO
Mikey Holland Need I say that I am not impresssed nor am I one bit
surprised?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

I will be out of the office until Tuesday, August 11th, 2020.

For all urgent matters please contact Mark Flemming at 444-5336.

I will reply to all other matters upon my return.

Thanks,

David Russell

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Waycott, Stephen" <SWaycott@nbpower.com>
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2020 19:27:32 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: EXT - Re: Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate
Design YO Mikey Holland Need I say that I am not impresssed nor am I
one bit surprised?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

Thank you for your email.

I am on vacation from Monday, August 3 until I return on Monday,
August 10. I will not be checking my emails regularly while I am away.

For Corporate Regulatory Affairs matters, please contact Lilia
Cozzarini at lcozzarini@nbpower.com .

Thanks,

Stephen Waycott
Director, Corporate Regulatory Affairs
NB Power

________________________________
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jeff Garrett <jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com>
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2020 19:27:29 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design YO
Mikey Holland Need I say that I am not impresssed nor am I one bit
surprised?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

I am out of the office returning August 17th. If you require urgent
assistance please contact John Adams at john.adams @sjenergy.com.

Thank You.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Mitchell, Kathleen" <Kathleen.Mitchell@nbeub.ca>
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2020 18:11:44 +0000
Subject: Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design / Instance Nº 357 -
Énergie NB - Établissement des tarifs
To: "louis-philippe.gauthier@cfib.ca"
<louis-philippe.gauthier@cfib.ca>, "David.Raymond.Amos333@gmail.com"
<David.Raymond.Amos333@gmail.com>, "david.sollows@gnb.ca"
<david.sollows@gnb.ca>, "david.russell@gnb.ca" <david.russell@gnb.ca>,
"Gilles.volpe@libertyutilities.com"
<Gilles.volpe@libertyutilities.com>, "Paul.Volpe@libertyutilities.com"
<Paul.Volpe@libertyutilities.com>, "dave.lavigne@libertyutilities.com"
<dave.lavigne@libertyutilities.com>, "Hoyt, Len"
<len.hoyt@mcinnescooper.com>, "jeffery.callaghan@mcinnescooper.com"
<jeffery.callaghan@mcinnescooper.com>, "rzarumba@ceadvisors.com"
<rzarumba@ceadvisors.com>, "gerald@kissnb.com" <gerald@kissnb.com>,
"cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com" <cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com>,
"hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com" <hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com>,
"lcozzarini@nbpower.com" <lcozzarini@nbpower.com>,
"jfurey@nbpower.com" <jfurey@nbpower.com>, "srussell@nbpower.com"
<srussell@nbpower.com>, "wharrison@nbpower.com"
<wharrison@nbpower.com>, "NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com"
<NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com>, "SWaycott@nbpower.com"
<SWaycott@nbpower.com>, "bcrawford@nbpower.com"
<bcrawford@nbpower.com>, "George.Porter@nbpower.com"
<George.Porter@nbpower.com>, NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>, "Dickie,
Michael" <Michael.Dickie@nbeub.ca>, "Lawton, John"
<John.Lawton@nbeub.ca>, "Young, Dave" <Dave.Young@nbeub.ca>,
"Mitchell, Kathleen" <Kathleen.Mitchell@nbeub.ca>,
"Ahmad.Faruqui@brattle.com" <Ahmad.Faruqui@brattle.com>,
"Cecile.Bourbonnais@brattle.com" <Cecile.Bourbonnais@brattle.com>,
"heather.black@gnb.ca" <heather.black@gnb.ca>, "rdk@indecon.com"
<rdk@indecon.com>, "rrichard@nb.aibn.com" <rrichard@nb.aibn.com>,
"sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com" <sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com>,
"margot.cragg@umnb.ca" <margot.cragg@umnb.ca>,
"jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com" <jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com>,
"dan.dionne@perth-andover.com" <dan.dionne@perth-andover.com>,
"pierreroy@edmundston.ca" <pierreroy@edmundston.ca>,
"ray.robinson@sjenergy.com" <ray.robinson@sjenergy.com>,
"sstoll@airdberlis.com" <sstoll@airdberlis.com>,
"pzarnett@bdrenergy.com" <pzarnett@bdrenergy.com>,
"leducjr@nb.sympatico.ca" <leducjr@nb.sympatico.ca>

Good afternoon,

Please find attached a Decision in connection with the above-noted matter.

Bonjour,

Veuillez trouver ci-joint une décision dans le cadre de l'instance
susmentionnée.

Kathleen Mitchell
Chief Clerk | Greffière en chef

Energy & Utilities Board | Commission de l'énergie et des services
publics du N.-B.
15 Market Square, Suite 1400
Saint John, NB E2L 4Y9
506-643-7324 (direct)
506-658-2504 (reception)
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---------- Original message ----------
From: "Austin, Kris (LEG)" <Kris.Austin@gnb.ca>
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 2020 10:20:01 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: YO Higgy and Minister Holland Re EUB Matter
No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design / Instance Nº 357 - Énergie NB -
Établissement des tarifs
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

Thank you for your email.

Please be assured that all emails and letters are read carefully.

Should your issue be Constituency related, please contact Janet at my
constituency office at janet.johnston@gnb.ca or by calling 444-4530 or
440-9542.

Thanks again for taking the time to reach out to me with your concerns or input.

Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Assemblée législative du Nouveau-Brunswick
Office of Kris Austin, MLA Bureau de Kris Austin, député
506-462-5875 506-462-5875

---------- Original message ----------
From: "Carr, Jeff Hon. (ELG/EGL)" <Jeff.Carr@gnb.ca>
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 2020 10:20:00 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: YO Higgy and Minister Holland Re EUB Matter
No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design / Instance Nº 357 - Énergie NB -
Établissement des tarifs
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

Thank you for your email. Your thoughts, comments and input are greatly valued.

You can be assured that all emails and letters are carefully read,
reviewed and taken into consideration.

There may be occasions when, given the issues you have raised and the
need to address them effectively, we will forward a copy of your
correspondence to the appropriate government official. Accordingly, a
response may take several business days.

If your request is Constituency related, please contact Rose Ann at my
Constituency office in Fredericton Junction at RoseAnn.Smith@gnb.ca or
by phone at 506-368-2938.
Thanks again for your email.
______

Merci pour votre courriel. Nous vous sommes très reconnaissants de
nous avoir fait part de vos idées, commentaires et observations.

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Si votre demande est liée à la circonscription, veuillez contacter
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Merci encore pour votre courriel.

---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 2020 07:19:49 -0300
Subject: YO Higgy and Minister Holland Re EUB Matter No. 357 - NB
Power Rate Design / Instance Nº 357 - Énergie NB - Établissement des
tarifs
To: premier <premier@gnb.ca>, "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>,
kcronkhite@nbpower.com, gthomas@nbpower.com,
Dave.Stonehouse@atlanticaenergy.org, "kris.austin"
<kris.austin@gnb.ca>, "David.Coon" <David.Coon@gnb.ca>,
"Kevin.Vickers" <Kevin.Vickers@gnb.ca>, "Holland, Mike (LEG)"
<mike.holland@gnb.ca>, wharrison@nbpower.com, jfurey@nbpower.com,
ecdesmond@nbeub.ca, heather.black@gnb.ca, Ahmad.Faruqui@brattle.com,
Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca, Newsroom <Newsroom@globeandmail.com>, Nathalie
Sturgeon <sturgeon.nathalie@brunswicknews.com>, "steve.murphy"
<steve.murphy@ctv.ca>, Andrea.AndersonMason@gnb.ca, jesse
<jesse@viafoura.com>, news <news@dailygleaner.com>, nben@nben.ca,
"nick.brown" <nick.brown@gnb.ca>, "robert.mckee"
<robert.mckee@gnb.ca>, "robert.gauvin" <robert.gauvin@gnb.ca>,
"dominic.leblanc.c1" <dominic.leblanc.c1@parl.gc.ca>, "Dominic.Cardy"
<Dominic.Cardy@gnb.ca>, "jeff.carr" <jeff.carr@gnb.ca>, "rob.moore"
<rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, premier <premier@ontario.ca>,
mbelliveau@nbpower.com, "Robert. Jones" <Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>,
Dave.Young@nbeub.ca
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>, "margot.cragg"
<margot.cragg@umnb.ca>, "michelle.conroy" <michelle.conroy@gnb.ca>,
"rick.desaulniers" <rick.desaulniers@gnb.ca>, "Barbara.Whitenect"
<Barbara.Whitenect@gnb.ca>, "carl.urquhart" <carl.urquhart@gnb.ca>,
"Mitton, Megan (LEG)" <megan.mitton@gnb.ca>, markandcaroline
<markandcaroline@gmail.com>, "Mark.Blakely"
<Mark.Blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, "martin.gaudet"
<martin.gaudet@fredericton.ca>, "Arseneau, Kevin (LEG)"
<kevin.a.arseneau@gnb.ca>, kedgwickriver <kedgwickriver@gmail.com>

https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies

David Raymond Amos‏ @DavidRayAmos
Replying to @DavidRayAmos @alllibertynews and 49 others
I repeat Methinks most folks are not aware that the former boss of NB
Power asked the EUB months ago to delay its decision on its second
stab at getting an OK to buy "Not So Smart" Meters N'esy Pas?

https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2020/06/nb-power-pulls-out-of-maritime-iron.html

#nbpoli #cdnpoli

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-power-maritime-iron-plant-belledune-1.5603559

Rates would have soared if NB Power hadn't abandoned iron plant
project, utility says
Maritime Iron says it's considering other avenues to go ahead with project

Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Jun 08, 2020 5:44 PM AT

34 Comments

David Amos
Content disabled
Yea Right Mr Cronkhite

David Amos
Methinks most folks are not aware that the former boss of NB Power
asked the EUB months ago to delay its decision on its second stab at
getting an OK to buy "Not So Smart" Meters N'esy Pas?

David Amos
"Yea Right Mr Cronkhite"
Why did that have to "Poof" after it stood for hours and actually got
a couple of likes?

Lou Bell
I guess Maritime Iron hadn't counted on the "ringer " they presented
their propsal to is no longer running N.B. Power. That Florida project
had caught their attention and the opportunity was just too good for
them to pass up . A year earlier and they would have had them , hook ,
line , and sinker !

David Amos
Reply to @Lou Bell: "Martha Stewart ! Martha bakes your butter tarts !
This isn't a cooking story ! What's next ? Pizzagate ???"

Methinks my concerns with NB Power and my filing on Friday with the
EUB should be next N'esy Pas?

Terry Tibbs
This belongs in a book, maybe in Ripley's believe it or not?
Since when has NB Power been concerned about the fate of those
destined to pay power bills for the rest of their natural life?

David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Methinks the last time was on or about the 12th
of Never N'esy Pas?

David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Methinks Higgy is gonna try herding cats again
at the circus in Fat Fred City tomorrow while Holland, Urquhart and
Cardy to name but a few of his crew of clowns partake of far too many
butter tarts as usual N'esy Pas?

Murray Brown
So wasting money on bizarre perpetual power schemes from Florida and
'smart' meters is more sensible? Somebody needs to reign in the
overpaid executives they have placed in charge of NB Power.

David Amos
Reply to @Murray Brown: Methinks thats Higgy's and Holland's job N'esy Pas?

Dave Corbin
Maritime Iron will cause significant CO2 emissions and must be scraped.

David Amos
Reply to @Dave Corbin: What would our forests breathe if they were
allowed to exist?

Wayne Mac Arthur
Too bad they are just awakening to the possibility of consideration of
the ratepayer.

David Amos
Content disabled
Reply to @Wayne Mac Arthur: Dream on Methinks everybody knows its just
fainthearted political spin and a whole lot more BS in order to cover
up a pile of money they already wasted on this nonsense N'esy Pas?

David Amos
Reply to @David Amos: BINGO

Ben Haroldson
nbpower should have been sold back when it was worth something.

David Amos
Reply to @Ben Haroldson: YUP

Ben Haroldson
Time for a provincial election. The crew has had it too easy for long enough.

Leslie Russell
Reply to @Ben Haroldson: Jump out of the Conservative frying pan into
the Liberal fire. Stupid is what stupid does.

Ben Haroldson
Reply to @Leslie Russell: Typical nb voters, right?

Lou Bell
Reply to @Ben Haroldson: Great idea for an election ! Higgs will get a
majority for certain !!!

David Amos
Reply to @Lou Bell: Methinks Higgy should advise you that its not wise
to count your chickens before they hatch N'esy Pas?

David Amos
Reply to @Leslie Russell: Methinks Mother Nature the fine lady who
oversees our Forests should be proud of you using the quote from
Hollywood N'esy Pas?

David Amos
Reply to @Ben Haroldson: Methinks folks should consider voting for
independents next time if there is one on their ballot N'esy Pas?

Ed Smith
Maritime Iron said in a written statement Friday that it was
"surprised and disappointed"

Really? This isn't the 19th century. If you develop a business plan
that relies heavily on coal you shouldn't be surprised that it runs
into a lot of obstacles.

David Amos
Reply to @Ed Smith: Methinks one dude in particular is surprised and
disappointed that he got booted off the gravy train N'esy Pas?

Robert G. Holmes
The basic idea of steel making makes sense. The process of using met
coal is the problem. Why not consider using electricity, following the
import of power from Quebec, and take Belledune off line? Why is your
Engineer/Premier not open to better advice, on the NB Power and Energy
file?

Roy Kirk
Reply to @Robert G. Holmes: In that case it would make more sense to
move the plant to Quebec and save the transportation costs for both
the ore and the electricity.

Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Robert G. Holmes:
Yes, the making of steel makes perfect sense. Too bad that is not what
is being proposed here. If you are paying attention, the intention is
to simply process iron ore into iron ingots, which are not steel.

David Amos
Reply to @Roy Kirk: Trust that I asked such things out of the gate
long ago but I already knew the answer that the crickets would not
tell me

Brian Robertson
Then why would they even consider getting involved.
This has to have been far more political than practical.

David Amos
Reply to @Brian Robertson: BINGO

Dan Lee
I wish somebody would take the money purse from theses fools of a
corporation.....seems every time theres something new .....they want
in............enough is enough.......its not their money..............

David Amos
Reply to @Dan Lee: Oh So True

Greg Miller
I'm glad NB Power pulled out of this proposal--hopefully it will die
on the 'planning board". However, the suggestion that NB Power pulled
out to save the ratepayers money in very FOREIGN TO ME!

David Amos
Reply to @Greg Miller: Methinks its foreign to a lot of folks but
nearly everybody in New Brunswick knows what the methane smells like
in fresh BS when they hear it flop on the ground. Perhaps NB Power
should start burning that stuff because our politicians certainly
produce a lot of it at great expense N'esy Pas?

"Agriculture is responsible for an estimated 14 percent of the world's
greenhouse gases. A significant portion of these emissions come from
methane, which, in terms of its contribution to global warming, is 23
times more powerful than carbon dioxide. The U.S. Food and Agriculture
Organization says that agricultural methane output could increase by
60 percent by 2030 [Source: Times Online]. The world's 1.5 billion
cows and billions of other grazing animals emit dozens of polluting
gases, including lots of methane."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/maritime-iron-belledune-nb-power-1.5600346

NB Power pulls out of Maritime Iron project, company says
NB Power has not offered any comment on cancelled project

Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Jun 05, 2020 3:04 PM AT

28 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.

David Amos
Surprise Surprise Surprise

David Amos
Methinks most folks are not aware that the boss of NB Power asked the
EUB months ago to delay its decision on its second stab at getting an
OK to buy "Not So Smart" Meters N'esy Pas?

Jon White
Has anybody had enough of this circus they call NB Power??? They would
muck up a 2 customer paper route!!

David Amos
Reply to @Jon White: Methinks if you enjoy the circus you should check
my arguing NB Power within the EUB Most of the documents are open for
public view Much to the chagrin of Higgy et al trust that the
submission I filed today in the 357 Matter was a dilly even if I say
so myself N'esy Pas?

Lou Bell
Reply to @David Amos: We'll never hear about it , or even care to !

Roger Richard
Could it be possible that NB Power has a change of their long term
vision about New Brunswick? Furthermore, could it be possible for them
to change their mind concerning Smart Meters? Methinks it would be
great, N’esy Pas?

Lou Bell
Reply to @Roger Richard: Amos ?

JoeBrown
Reply to @Lou Bell: Only if he has split personalities, because he
didn't talk to government officials in this post. .

David Amos
Reply to @Roger Richard: Methinks the same as you much to little Lou's
chagrin N'esy Pas?

Lou Bell
Quebec's ** cough , cough ** " dirty little secret " that they want to
pawn off on N.B.

David Amos
Reply to @Lou Bell: Methinks you think you know a lot of such secrets
N'esy Pas?

---------- Original message ----------
From: Paul Volpé <Paul.Volpe@libertyutilities.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2020 16:10:55 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design /
Instance Nº 357 - Énergie NB - Établissement des tarifs
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

Thank you for the email. I will be out of the office this afternoon
and be returning on June 8th. I will be pleased to respond to your
message at that time.
If you would like immediate attention, please contact 1-800-994-2762
and someone will be able to assist you.

Paul Volpé| Liberty Utilities | Manager, Regulatory Affairs |
Gestionnaire, Affaires réglementaires
T: 506-457-7762 | C: 506-470-7240 | E/C:
paul.volpe@libertyutilities.com<mailto:paul.volpe@libertyutilities.com>
440 Wilsey Rd., Fredericton, NB E3B 7G5

---------- Original message ----------
From: NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>
Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2020 16:22:11 +0000
Subject: RE: Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design / Instance Nº 357 -
Énergie NB - Établissement des tarifs
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

Thank you for your email to the Energy and Utilities Board.

This is to acknowledge receipt of the document you have filed with the Board.

***

La Commission de l’énergie et des services publics vous remercie pour
votre courriel.

Nous accusons réception du document que vous avez déposé auprès de la
Commission.

N.B. Energy and Utilities Board
Commission de l’énergie et des services publics du N.-B.
15 Market Square – Suite 1400
P.O. Box 5001/C.P. 5001
Saint John, NB E2L 4Y9
Telephone : 506-658-2504
Fax/Télécopieur : 506-643-7300
Email : general@nbeub.ca / Courriel : general@cespnb.ca
Website: www.nbeub.ca / Site Web : www.cespnb.ca
Confidentiality Notice
This private message (and any attachments) is for the exclusive use of
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disclosure by law. Its author does not waive the protection afforded
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intended recipient does not constitute waiver of privilege. Its
possession or usage, by any person other than the one for whom it is
intended, is not authorized by its author and is strictly prohibited.
If you have received this communication in error, please notify us
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de la personne pour laquelle ou entité pour laquelle, il est destiné.
Il peut contenir des informations qui sont personnelles,
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ne renonce pas à la protection accordée en vertu de la loi applicable.
Sa divulgation à toute personne autre que son destinataire ne
constitue pas une renonciation de privilège. Sa possession ou
l'utilisation, par une personne autre que celle pour laquelle il est
destiné, n'est pas autorisée par son auteur et est strictement
interdite. Si vous recevez cette communication par erreur, veuillez
nous appeler dans les plus brefs délais, à frais virés, au (506)
658-2504. Aussi, si vous avez reçu ce courriel par erreur, veuillez
effacer ce courriel, ainsi que les pièces jointes, de votre système
informatique et de vos dossiers. Merci.

----------Original message ----------
From: NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>
Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2018 16:51:27 +0000
Subject: RE: RE My concerns about conflict of interests versus what was said at the Public Interest Hearing in Matter 375 today
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>

Thank you for your email to the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities
Board.

This is to acknowledge receipt of the comments you have forwarded to
the Board.

***

La Commission de l'énergie et des services publics du Nouveau-
Brunswick vous remercie pour votre courriel.

Nous accusons réception des commentaires que vous avez fait parvenir
à la Commission.

N.B. Energy and Utilities Board
Commission de l’énergie et des services publics du N.-B.
15 Market Square – Suite 1400
P.O. Box 5001/C.P. 5001
Saint John, NB E2L 4Y9
Telephone : 506-658-2504
Fax/Télécopieur : 506-643-7300
Email : general@nbeub.ca / Courriel : general@cespnb.ca
Website: www.nbeub.ca / Site Web : www.cespnb.ca
Confidentiality Notice
This private message (and any attachments) is for the exclusive use of the individual for whom, or entity for which, it is intended. It may contain information that is privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure by law. Its author does not waive the protection afforded to it under applicable law. Disclosure to anyone other than the intended recipient does not constitute waiver of privilege. Its possession or usage, by any person other than the one for whom it is intended, is not authorized by its author and is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately, at our expense, by telephone at (506) 658-2504. Also, if you received this email in error, delete it and any attachments from your computer system and records. Thank you.
Avis de confidentialité
Ce message privé (et toutes les pièces jointes) est à l'usage exclusif de la personne pour laquelle ou entité pour laquelle, il est destiné. Il peut contenir des informations qui sont personnelles, confidentielles ou exemptées de la divulgation par la loi. Son auteur ne renonce pas à la protection accordée en vertu de la loi applicable. Sa divulgation à toute personne autre que son destinataire ne constitue pas une renonciation de privilège. Sa possession ou l'utilisation, par une personne autre que celle pour laquelle il est destiné, n'est pas autorisée par son auteur et est strictement interdite. Si vous recevez cette communication par erreur, veuillez nous appeler dans les plus brefs délais, à frais virés, au (506) 658-2504. Aussi, si vous avez reçu ce courriel par erreur, veuillez effacer ce courriel, ainsi que les pièces jointes, de votre système informatique et de vos dossiers. Merci.

---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2018 13:48:27 -0300
Subject: RE My concerns about conflict of interests versus what was
said at the Public Interest Hearing in Matter 375 today
To: cra.minister-ministre.arc@cra.gc.ca, "david.sollows@gnb.ca"
<david.sollows@gnb.ca>, "Gilles.volpe@enbridge.com"
<Gilles.volpe@enbridge.com>, "Paul.Volpe@enbridge.com"
<Paul.Volpe@enbridge.com>, "dave.lavigne@enbridge.com"
<dave.lavigne@enbridge.com>, "Hoyt, Len" <len.hoyt@mcinnescooper.com>,
"jeffery.callaghan@mcinnescooper.com"
<jeffery.callaghan@mcinnescooper.com>, "rzarumba@ceadvisors.com"
<rzarumba@ceadvisors.com>, "bdavis@ceadvisors.com"
<bdavis@ceadvisors.com>, "toneill@ceadvisors.com"
<toneill@ceadvisors.com>, "KissPartyofNB@gmail.com"
<KissPartyofNB@gmail.com>, "hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com"
<hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com>, "cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com"
<cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com>, "jfurey@nbpower.com"
<jfurey@nbpower.com>, "lcozzarini@nbpower.com"
<lcozzarini@nbpower.com>, "wharrison@nbpower.com"
<wharrison@nbpower.com>, "srussell@nbpower.com"
<srussell@nbpower.com>, "NConnellyBosse@nbpower.com"
<NConnellyBosse@nbpower.com>, "NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com"
<NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com>, "Lawton, John" <John.Lawton@nbeub.ca>,
"Desmond, Ellen" <ecdesmond@nbeub.ca>, "Dickie, Michael"
<Michael.Dickie@nbeub.ca>, "Young, Dave" <Dave.Young@nbeub.ca>,
"Mitchell, Kathleen" <Kathleen.Mitchell@nbeub.ca>, NBEUB/CESPNB
<General@nbeub.ca>, "twoolf@synapse-energy.com"
<twoolf@synapse-energy.com>, "ktakahashi@synapse-energy.com"
<ktakahashi@synapse-energy.com>, "anapoleon@synapse-energy.com"
<anapoleon@synapse-energy.com>, "ahopkins@synapse-energy.com"
<ahopkins@synapse-energy.com>, "jmarusiak@synapse-energy.com"
<jmarusiak@synapse-energy.com>, "chris_r_31@hotmail.com"
<chris_r_31@hotmail.com>, "rdk@indecon.com" <rdk@indecon.com>,
"avitulli@indecon.com" <avitulli@indecon.com>,
"efinamore@valutechsolutions.com" <efinamore@valutechsolutions.com>,
"rrichard@nb.aibn.com" <rrichard@nb.aibn.com>,
"leblanc.daniel.m@gmail.com" <leblanc.daniel.m@gmail.com>,
"sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com" <sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com>,
"jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com" <jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com>,
"dan.dionne@perth-andover.com" <dan.dionne@perth-andover.com>,
"pierreroy@edmundston.ca" <pierreroy@edmundston.ca>,
"ray.robinson@sjenergy.com" <ray.robinson@sjenergy.com>,
"marta.kelly@sjenergy.com" <marta.kelly@sjenergy.com>,
"sstoll@airdberlis.com" <sstoll@airdberlis.com>,
"pzarnett@bdrenergy.com" <pzarnett@bdrenergy.com>
Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

Mr Stewart was asked today if his client was aware of the details of
the settlement with the Insurers and he claimed that the Irvings were not.

However his law firm Stewart McKelvey must because they work for NB
Power as well and according to CBC were involved in the lawsuit that
has apparently been settled?

Why is that only I see a conflict of Interests?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/lepreau-nuclear-refurbishment-lawsuit-1.3469953

Point Lepreau lawsuits may finally go to trial this year
NB Power, AECL suing insurance companies over Lepreau refurbishment overruns
CBC News · Posted: Feb 29, 2016 7:55 PM AT

NB Power and Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. are suing 7 insurance
companies over cost overruns during the Point Lepreau refurbishment.
(CBC)

A pair of multi-million dollar lawsuits involving NB Power, Atomic
Energy of Canada Ltd. and seven insurance companies over who should
pay for mistakes and delays during the refurbishment at the Point
Lepreau nuclear plant are taking longer than the refurbishment itself,
but may finally be ready to go to trial later this year, court records
show.

Last week, Saint John court clerk Amanda Evans sent a notice to AECL's
Toronto lawyer, Paul Ivanoff, requesting an update on the case. Last
year Ivanoff assured the court it would be ready to proceed this year.

"The Plaintiff expects to be in a position to enter the matter for
trial in the spring of 2016 for a trial in either September 2016 or in
Q4 of 2016," he wrote.

The Point Lepreau refurbishment went three years longer than planned
and over $1 billion over budget. AECL and NB Power are individually
suing the same group of seven insurance companies to recover money
from the troubled refurbishment of Point Lepreau, which took three
years longer than expected and went more than $1 billion over budget.

NB Power is seeking $320 million plus interest and costs, while AECL
is looking for $204 million.

Each lawsuit is separate but are proceeding through the courts together.
Insurance companies refused to pay

The insurance companies, all operating under the banner of Lloyd's
Underwriting, are being sued because they refused to pay for damage to
the reactor's outer shell, known as the calandria, when it was
improperly polished using coarse wire brushes during the
refurbishment.

The polishing caused microscopic scratching and when new tubes were
fitted into the calandria the scratches led to large numbers of the
tubes flunking critical air leak tests.

All 380 tubes had to be removed and replaced, a setback that cost the
project 22 months and hundreds of millions of dollars.
The insurance companies refused to pay, instead blaming AECL's and NB
Power's negligence for the delays. (CBC)The insurance companies
rejected claims the calandria had been "accidentally physically
damaged" by the polishing mistake and instead blamed AECL and NB
Power's negligence.

The lawsuits were filed four years ago in February and have generated
enormous amounts of paperwork and legal bills.

AECL says all sides have produced 100,000 documents for inspection.

Last year NB Power disclosed at the Energy and Utilities Board it had
paid its legal firm Stewart McKelvey more than $1.5 million during a
12 month period in 2013 and 2014, although it did not specify how much
of that was specifically for the Lepreau lawsuit.

----------Original message ----------
From: NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>
Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2018 15:02:10 +0000
Subject: RE: RE What is being said about the CRA today at the Public
Interest Hearing in Matter 375 right now
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>

Thank you for your email to the Energy and Utilities Board.

This is to acknowledge receipt of the information you have forwarded
to the Board.

***

La Commission de l'énergie et des services publics du
Nouveau-Brunswick vous remercie pour votre courriel.

Nous accusons réception de l'information que vous avez fait parvenir
à la Commission.

N.B. Energy and Utilities Board
Commission de l’énergie et des services publics du N.-B.
15 Market Square – Suite 1400
P.O. Box 5001/C.P. 5001
Saint John, NB E2L 4Y9
Telephone : 506-658-2504
Fax/Télécopieur : 506-643-7300
Email : general@nbeub.ca / Courriel : general@cespnb.ca
Website: www.nbeub.ca / Site Web : www.cespnb.ca
Confidentiality Notice
This private message (and any attachments) is for the exclusive use of
the individual for whom, or entity for which, it is intended. It may
contain information that is privileged, confidential or exempt from
disclosure by law. Its author does not waive the protection afforded
to it under applicable law. Disclosure to anyone other than the
intended recipient does not constitute waiver of privilege. Its
possession or usage, by any person other than the one for whom it is
intended, is not authorized by its author and is strictly prohibited.
If you have received this communication in error, please notify us
immediately, at our expense, by telephone at (506) 658-2504. Also, if
you received this email in error, delete it and any attachments from
your computer system and records. Thank you.
Avis de confidentialité
Ce message privé (et toutes les pièces jointes) est à l'usage exclusif
de la personne pour laquelle ou entité pour laquelle, il est destiné.
Il peut contenir des informations qui sont personnelles,
confidentielles ou exemptées de la divulgation par la loi. Son auteur
ne renonce pas à la protection accordée en vertu de la loi applicable.
Sa divulgation à toute personne autre que son destinataire ne
constitue pas une renonciation de privilège. Sa possession ou
l'utilisation, par une personne autre que celle pour laquelle il est
destiné, n'est pas autorisée par son auteur et est strictement
interdite. Si vous recevez cette communication par erreur, veuillez
nous appeler dans les plus brefs délais, à frais virés, au (506)
658-2504. Aussi, si vous avez reçu ce courriel par erreur, veuillez
effacer ce courriel, ainsi que les pièces jointes, de votre système
informatique et de vos dossiers. Merci.

----------Original message ----------
From: "Minister | Ministre (CRA/ARC)" <CRA.minister-ministre.ARC@cra-arc.gc.ca>
Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2018 15:00:59 +0000
Subject: Réponse automatique : RE What is being said about the CRA
today at the Public Interest Hearing in Matter 375 right now
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>

Merci d'avoir écrit à l'honorable Diane Lebouthillier, ministre du
Revenu national. Votre courriel sera lu avec soin et recevra toute
l'attention voulue.

Si votre courriel porte sur une demande de rencontre ou une invitation
à une activité particulière, nous tenons à vous assurer que votre
demande a été notée et transmise à notre adjointe à l'agenda.

***************************

Thank you for writing to the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister
of National Revenue. Your email will be read with care and will
receive every consideration.

If your email relates to a meeting request or an invitation to a
specific event, please be assured that your request has been noted and
sent to our scheduling assistant

----------Original message ----------
From: Scott Stoll <sstoll@airdberlis.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2018 15:00:49 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: RE What is being said about the CRA today at
the Public Interest Hearing in Matter 375 right now
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>

I will be out of the office at a hearing until April 9th, 2018.
During this time, I will have very limited access to email and
voicemail. I will endeavour to respond to emails during the evening.
If you require immediate assistance please contact my assistant Alison
Reynolds at (416) 863-1500 and she will direct you to the appropriate
lawyer.

---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2018 12:00:45 -0300
Subject: RE What is being said about the CRA today at the Public
Interest Hearing in Matter 375 right now
To: cra.minister-ministre.arc@cra.gc.ca, "david.sollows@gnb.ca"
< david.sollows@gnb.ca>, "Gilles.volpe@enbridge.com"
< Gilles.volpe@enbridge.com>, "Paul.Volpe@enbridge.com"
< Paul.Volpe@enbridge.com>, "dave.lavigne@enbridge.com"
< dave.lavigne@enbridge.com>, "Hoyt, Len" <len.hoyt@mcinnescooper.com>,
"jeffery.callaghan@mcinnescooper.com"
< jeffery.callaghan@mcinnescooper.com>, "rzarumba@ceadvisors.com"
< rzarumba@ceadvisors.com>, "bdavis@ceadvisors.com"
< bdavis@ceadvisors.com>, "toneill@ceadvisors.com"
< toneill@ceadvisors.com>, "KissPartyofNB@gmail.com"
< KissPartyofNB@gmail.com>, "hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com"
< hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com>, "cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com"
< cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com>, "jfurey@nbpower.com"

< jfurey@nbpower.com>, "lcozzarini@nbpower.com"
< lcozzarini@nbpower.com>, "wharrison@nbpower.com"
< wharrison@nbpower.com>, "srussell@nbpower.com"
< srussell@nbpower.com>, "NConnellyBosse@nbpower.com"
< NConnellyBosse@nbpower.com>, "NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com"
< NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com>, "Lawton, John" <John.Lawton@nbeub.ca>,
"Desmond, Ellen" <ecdesmond@nbeub.ca>, "Dickie, Michael"
< Michael.Dickie@nbeub.ca>, "Young, Dave" <Dave.Young@nbeub.ca>,
"Mitchell, Kathleen" <Kathleen.Mitchell@nbeub.ca>, NBEUB/CESPNB
< General@nbeub.ca>, "twoolf@synapse-energy.com"
< twoolf@synapse-energy.com>, "ktakahashi@synapse-energy.com"
< ktakahashi@synapse-energy.com>, "anapoleon@synapse-energy.com"
< anapoleon@synapse-energy.com>, "ahopkins@synapse-energy.com"
< ahopkins@synapse-energy.com>, "jmarusiak@synapse-energy.com"
< jmarusiak@synapse-energy.com>, "chris_r_31@hotmail.com"
< chris_r_31@hotmail.com>, "rdk@indecon.com" <rdk@indecon.com>,
"avitulli@indecon.com" <avitulli@indecon.com>,
"efinamore@valutechsolutions.com" <efinamore@valutechsolutions.com>,
"rrichard@nb.aibn.com" <rrichard@nb.aibn.com>,
"leblanc.daniel.m@gmail.com" <leblanc.daniel.m@gmail.com>,
"sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com" <sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com>,
"jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com" <jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com>,
"dan.dionne@perth-andover.com" <dan.dionne@perth-andover.com>,
"pierreroy@edmundston.ca" <pierreroy@edmundston.ca>,
"ray.robinson@sjenergy.com" <ray.robinson@sjenergy.com>,
"marta.kelly@sjenergy.com" <marta.kelly@sjenergy.com>,
"sstoll@airdberlis.com" <sstoll@airdberlis.com>,
"pzarnett@bdrenergy.com" <pzarnett@bdrenergy.com>
Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

KPMG audits NB Power Everybody knows that my concerns about the
Integrity KPMG is not privileged Information

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Min.Mail / Courrier.Min (CRA/ARC)" <PABMINMAILG@cra-arc.gc.ca>
Date: Wed, 24 May 2017 13:10:52 +0000
Subject: Your various correspondence about abusive tax schemes - 2017-02631
To: "motomaniac333@gmail.com" <motomaniac333@gmail.com>

Mr. David Raymond Amos
motomaniac333@gmail.com

Dear Mr. Amos:

Thank you for your various correspondence about abusive tax schemes,
and for your understanding regarding the delay of this response.

This is an opportunity for me to address your concerns about the way
the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) deals with aggressive tax planning,
tax avoidance, and tax evasion by targeting individuals and groups
that promote schemes intended to avoid payment of tax. It is also an
opportunity for me to present the Government of Canada’s main
strategies for ensuring fairness for all taxpayers.

The CRA’s mission is to preserve the integrity of Canada’s tax system,
and it is taking concrete and effective action to deal with abusive
tax schemes. Through federal budget funding in 2016 and 2017, the
government has committed close to $1 billion in cracking down on tax
evasion and combatting tax avoidance at home and through the use of
offshore transactions. This additional funding is expected to generate
federal revenues of $2.6 billion over five years for Budget 2016, and
$2.5 billion over five years for Budget 2017.

More precisely, the CRA is cracking down on tax cheats by hiring more
auditors, maintaining its underground economy specialist teams,
increasing coverage of aggressive goods and service tax/harmonized
sales tax planning, increasing coverage of multinational corporations
and wealthy individuals, and taking targeted actions aimed at
promoters of abusive tax schemes.

On the offshore front, the CRA continues to develop tools to improve
its focus on high‑risk taxpayers. It is also considering changes to
its Voluntary Disclosures Program following the first set of program
recommendations received from an independent Offshore Compliance
Advisory Committee. In addition, the CRA is leading international
projects to address the base erosion and profit shifting initiative of
the G20 and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development, and is collaborating with treaty partners to address the
Panama Papers leaks.

These actions are evidence of the government’s commitment to
protecting tax fairness. The CRA has strengthened its intelligence and
technical capacities for the early detection of abusive tax
arrangements and deterrence of those who participate in them. To
ensure compliance, it has increased the number of actions aimed at
promoters who use illegal schemes. These measures include increased
audits of such promoters, improved information gathering, criminal
investigations where warranted, and better communication with
taxpayers.

To deter potential taxpayer involvement in these schemes, the CRA is
increasing notifications and warnings through its communications
products. It also seeks partnerships with tax preparers, accountants,
and community groups so that they can become informed observers who
can educate their clients.

The CRA will assess penalties against promoters and other
representatives who make false statements involving illegal tax
schemes. The promotion of tax schemes to defraud the government can
lead to criminal investigations, fingerprinting, criminal prosecution,
court fines, and jail time.

Between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2016, the CRA’s criminal
investigations resulted in the conviction of 42 Canadian taxpayers for
tax evasion with links to money and assets held offshore. In total,
the $34 million in evaded taxes resulted in court fines of $12 million
and 734 months of jail time.

When deciding to pursue compliance actions through the courts, the CRA
consults the Department of Justice Canada to choose an appropriate
solution. Complex tax-related litigation is costly and time consuming,
and the outcome may be unsuccessful. All options to recover amounts
owed are considered.

More specifically, in relation to the KPMG Isle of Man tax avoidance
scheme, publicly available court records show that it is through the
CRA’s efforts that the scheme was discovered. The CRA identified many
of the participants and continues to actively pursue the matter. The
CRA has also identified at least 10 additional tax structures on the
Isle of Man, and is auditing taxpayers in relation to these
structures.

To ensure tax fairness, the CRA commissioned an independent review in
March 2016 to determine if it had acted appropriately concerning KPMG
and its clients. In her review, Ms. Kimberley Brooks, Associate
Professor and former Dean of the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie
University, examined the CRA’s operational processes and decisions in
relation to the KPMG offshore tax structure and its efforts to obtain
the names of all taxpayers participating in the scheme. Following this
review, the report, released on May 5, 2016, concluded that the CRA
had acted appropriately in its management of the KPMG Isle of Man
file. The report found that the series of compliance measures the CRA
took were in accordance with its policies and procedures. It was
concluded that the procedural actions taken on the KPMG file were
appropriate given the facts of this particular case and were
consistent with the treatment of taxpayers in similar situations. The
report concluded that actions by CRA employees were in accordance with
the CRA’s Code of Integrity and Professional Conduct. There was no
evidence of inappropriate interaction between KPMG and the CRA
employees involved in the case.

Under the CRA’s Code of Integrity and Professional Conduct, all CRA
employees are responsible for real, apparent, or potential conflicts
of interests between their current duties and any subsequent
employment outside of the CRA or the Public Service of Canada.
Consequences and corrective measures play an important role in
protecting the CRA’s integrity.

The CRA takes misconduct very seriously. The consequences of
misconduct depend on the gravity of the incident and its repercussions
on trust both within and outside of the CRA. Misconduct can result in
disciplinary measures up to dismissal.

All forms of tax evasion are illegal. The CRA manages the Informant
Leads Program, which handles leads received from the public regarding
cases of tax evasion across the country. This program, which
coordinates all the leads the CRA receives from informants, determines
whether there has been any non-compliance with tax law and ensures
that the information is examined and conveyed, if applicable, so that
compliance measures are taken. This program does not offer any reward
for tips received.

The new Offshore Tax Informant Program (OTIP) has also been put in
place. The OTIP offers financial compensation to individuals who
provide information related to major cases of offshore tax evasion
that lead to the collection of tax owing. As of December 31, 2016, the
OTIP had received 963 calls and 407 written submissions from possible
informants. Over 218 taxpayers are currently under audit based on
information the CRA received through the OTIP.

With a focus on the highest-risk sectors nationally and
internationally and an increased ability to gather information, the
CRA has the means to target taxpayers who try to hide their income.
For example, since January 2015, the CRA has been collecting
information on all international electronic funds transfers (EFTs) of
$10,000 or more ending or originating in Canada. It is also adopting a
proactive approach by focusing each year on four jurisdictions that
raise suspicion. For the Isle of Man, the CRA audited 3,000 EFTs
totalling $860 million over 12 months and involving approximately 800
taxpayers. Based on these audits, the CRA communicated with
approximately 350 individuals and 400 corporations and performed 60
audits.

In January 2017, I reaffirmed Canada’s important role as a leader for
tax authorities around the world in detecting the structures used for
aggressive tax planning and tax evasion. This is why Canada works
daily with the Joint International Tax Shelter Information Centre
(JITSIC), a network of tax administrations in over 35 countries. The
CRA participates in two expert groups within the JITSIC and leads the
working group on intermediaries and proponents. This ongoing
collaboration is a key component of the CRA’s work to develop strong
relationships with the international community, which will help it
refine the world-class tax system that benefits all Canadians.

The CRA is increasing its efforts and is seeing early signs of
success. Last year, the CRA recovered just under $13 billion as a
result of its audit activities on the domestic and offshore fronts.
Two-thirds of these recoveries are the result of its audit efforts
relating to large businesses and multinational companies.

But there is still much to do, and additional improvements and
investments are underway.

Tax cheats are having a harder and harder time hiding. Taxpayers who
choose to promote or participate in malicious and illegal tax
strategies must face the consequences of their actions. Canadians
expect nothing less. I invite you to read my most recent statement on
this matter at canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/news/2017/03/
statement_from_thehonourabledianelebouthillierministerofnational.

Thank you for taking the time to write. I hope the information I have
provided is helpful.

Sincerely,

The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier
Minister of National Revenue

---------- Orignal message ----------
From: NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>
Date: Mon, 7 May 2018 11:26:59 +0000
Subject: RE: Attn Ellen C. Desmond Q.C and Minister Rick Doucet RE
Request for information I have not heard back from you or your friends
the Henneberry’s Reporting Service
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>

Thank you for your email to the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities
Board.

This is to acknowledge receipt of the comments you have forwarded to
the Board.

***

La Commission de l'énergie et des services publics du Nouveau-
Brunswick vous remercie pour votre courriel.

Nous accusons réception des commentaires que vous avez fait parvenir
à la Commission.

N.B. Energy and Utilities Board
Commission de l’énergie et des services publics du N.-B.
15 Market Square – Suite 1400
P.O. Box 5001/C.P. 5001
Saint John, NB E2L 4Y9
Telephone : 506-658-2504
Fax/Télécopieur : 506-643-7300
Email : general@nbeub.ca / Courriel : general@cespnb.ca
Website: www.nbeub.ca / Site Web : www.cespnb.ca
Confidentiality Notice
This private message (and any attachments) is for the exclusive use of
the individual for whom, or entity for which, it is intended. It may
contain information that is privileged, confidential or exempt from
disclosure by law. Its author does not waive the protection afforded
to it under applicable law. Disclosure to anyone other than the
intended recipient does not constitute waiver of privilege. Its
possession or usage, by any person other than the one for whom it is
intended, is not authorized by its author and is strictly prohibited.
If you have received this communication in error, please notify us
immediately, at our expense, by telephone at (506) 658-2504. Also, if
you received this email in error, delete it and any attachments from
your computer system and records. Thank you.
Avis de confidentialité
Ce message privé (et toutes les pièces jointes) est à l'usage exclusif
de la personne pour laquelle ou entité pour laquelle, il est destiné.
Il peut contenir des informations qui sont personnelles,
confidentielles ou exemptées de la divulgation par la loi. Son auteur
ne renonce pas à la protection accordée en vertu de la loi applicable.
Sa divulgation à toute personne autre que son destinataire ne
constitue pas une renonciation de privilège. Sa possession ou
l'utilisation, par une personne autre que celle pour laquelle il est
destiné, n'est pas autorisée par son auteur et est strictement
interdite. Si vous recevez cette communication par erreur, veuillez
nous appeler dans les plus brefs délais, à frais virés, au (506)
658-2504. Aussi, si vous avez reçu ce courriel par erreur, veuillez
effacer ce courriel, ainsi que les pièces jointes, de votre système
informatique et de vos dossiers. Merci.

-----Original Message-----
From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 6, 2018 10:22 PM
To: NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com; derek.burney
< derek.burney@nortonrosefulbright.com>; Mitchell, Kathleen
< Kathleen.Mitchell@nbeub.ca>; david.sollows@gnb.ca;
Gilles.volpe@enbridge.com; Paul.Volpe@enbridge.com;
dave.lavigne@enbridge.com; Hoyt, Len <len.hoyt@mcinnescooper.com>;
jeffery.callaghan@mcinnescooper.com; rzarumba@ceadvisors.com;
bdavis@ceadvisors.com; toneill@ceadvisors.com;
KissPartyofNB@gmail.com; SueR1941@msn.com; hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com;
cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com; Furey, John <JFurey@nbpower.com>;
Harrison, Wanda <WHarrison@nbpower.com>; Russell, Stephen
< SRussell@nbpower.com>; Connelly Bosse, Natacha
< NConnellyBosse@nbpower.com>; Lawton, John <John.Lawton@nbeub.ca>;
Desmond, Ellen <ecdesmond@nbeub.ca>; Dickie, Michael
< Michael.Dickie@nbeub.ca>; Young, Dave <Dave.Young@nbeub.ca>;
NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>; twoolf@synapse-energy.com;
ktakahashi@synapse-energy.com; anapoleon@synapse-energy.com;
ahopkins@synapse-energy.com; jmarusiak@synapse-energy.com;
chris_r_31@hotmail.com; heather.black@gnb.ca; rdk@indecon.com;
avitulli@indecon.com; efinamore@valutechsolutions.com;
rrichard@nb.aibn.com; leblanc.daniel.m@gmail.com;
sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com; jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com;
dan.dionne@perth-andover.com; pierreroy@edmundston.ca;
ray.robinson@sjenergy.com; marta.kelly@sjenergy.com;
sstoll@airdberlis.com; pzarnett@bdrenergy.com; Andrew Logan
< Andrew.Logan@tsdca.com>; john.logan <john.logan@gnb.ca>; rick.doucet
< rick.doucet@gnb.ca>; chris.collins <chris.collins@gnb.ca>;
brian.gallant <brian.gallant@gnb.ca>; tj <tj@burkelaw.ca>; dan.
bussieres <dan.bussieres@gnb.ca>; serge.rousselle
< serge.rousselle@gnb.ca>
Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos@gmail.com>; george.furey
< george.furey@sen.parl.gc.ca>; coi@gnb.ca; jody.carr
< jody.carr@gnb.ca>; Frank.McKenna <Frank.McKenna@td.com>; Brenda.Lucki
< Brenda.Lucki@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>; washington field
< washington.field@ic.fbi.gov>; Boston.Mail <Boston.Mail@ic.fbi.gov>;
Michael.Wernick <Michael.Wernick@pco-bcp.gc.ca>; marc.giroux
< marc.giroux@fja-cmf.gc.ca>; daniel.mchardie <daniel.mchardie@cbc.ca>;
michael.comeau <michael.comeau@gnb.ca>; davidcoon@greenpartynb.ca;
sheppardmargo@gmail.com; carmen.budilean@greenpartynb.ca; Robert.
Jones <Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>; Gilles.Moreau
< Gilles.Moreau@forces.gc.ca>; Gilles.Blinn
< Gilles.Blinn@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>; ethics-ethique
< ethics-ethique@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>
Subject: Attn Ellen C. Desmond Q.C and Minister Rick Doucet RE Request
for information I have not heard back from you or your friends the
Henneberry’s Reporting Service

Perhaps you should ask Henneberry’s Reporting Service about this
yourself? This is the text of your letters to me last month and four
years ago Correct?

April 17, 2018

VIA EMAIL

Mr. David Amos
Dear Mr. Amos

Re: Right to Information and Protection of Privacy ActRequest for information

This will acknowledge your request for “a true copy of the recording
of the Public Hearing held on the evening of February 7, 2018”, in
connection with Board Matter 375.

Please be advised that the recording is not in the possession of the
New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board (Board) nor is it under the
Board’s control. The recording is prepared and controlled by
Henneberry’s Reporting Service.

We do note that a copy of the transcript can be found on the Board’s
website at www.nbeub.ca.

Yours truly,
Ellen C. Desmond, Q.C.
Director, Legal and Administration

---------- Original message ----------
From: "Doucet, Rick (LEG)" <Rick.Doucet@gnb.ca>
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 01:07:58 +0000
Subject: RE: Final Docs
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>

Will get right on this.
Always look forward to your brilliant thoughts.
R

Hon.Rick Doucet
Legislative member for Charlotte-the isles
28 Mt.Pleasant Rd.
St.George, N.B. E5C 3K4

Phone / Téléphone : 506-755-4200
Fax / Télécopieur : 506-755-4207
E-mail / Courriel : rick.doucet@gnb.ca

This message is intended for the person to whom it is addressed and is
to be treated as confidential or private communications. It must not
be forwarded unless permission has been received from the originator.
If you have received this message inadvertently, please notify the
sender and delete the message. Then delete your response. Thank you
for your cooperation.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Ce message est destiné à la personne désignée dans la présente et il
doit demeurer confidentiel. Il ne doit pas être réacheminé sans la
permission de l’expéditeur. Si ce message vous a été envoyé par
erreur, veuillez aviser l’expéditeur et effacer le message. Effacez
ensuite votre réponse. Merci de votre collaboration.

I will never understand why your friends in Henneberry’s Reporting
Service won't get back to me or why they took so long to produce a
transcript of the Public Session in the first place. The public
session was not much over an hour in duration. Yet Henneberry’s
Reporting Service can provide a transcript of a full day of a hearing
almost overnight if they wish to. (Although I see no record of the
transcripts for May the 2nd and 3rd as of yet)

Furthermore there is one statement I found in the transcript of the
Public Session that the EUB offers to the public which I have no
recollection of whatsoever. It is the main reason why I want a true
copy of the recording of the hearing. It certainly appears to me that
you people are attempting to make me seem to be some kind of nut.
Also for the record I did not say "Dead Bernie" as the transcript
falsely claims. I said the name of a former Chairman of the Board of
NB Power, Derek Burney.

On October 30th, 2017 your friend Mr Furey filed a submission in this
matter as "APPENDIX"G" (Hereto attached) It is a true copy of the
cover letter I sent to Burney and many others in 2006 along with a
many documents and a CD. My actions in Federal Court since 2015 that
Mr. Furey laments about easily prove that I am very willing to argue
every word of my evidence of public corruption.

Derek Burney and NB Power lawyers have ever answered me to this very
day. Other than Mr. Furey having me illegally barred as an Intervener
and the EUB answering a freedom of information request I have been
deliberately ignored since 2006. Need I say I was not impressed with
the ethics of all the other Interveners when they said nothing about
the EUB very questionable actions against me on October 31st, 2018?

The EUB never even bothered with its protocol in order to ask any of
the other Interveners about their actions that day. I truly believe
that is because you and all the other lawyers did not want your
opinion of me recorded in the public record Correct? What if such
malicious nonsense had happened to you or any other lawyer involved in
the 375 matter? I bet you people would have filed a lawsuit
immediately.

Obviously I have sent the Former Chairan of the Boeard of NB Power
this email as well as most of the other people named within my
documents that Mr. Furey filed as "APPENDIX"G"

http://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/people/42473/derekhburney

Derek H. Burney, OC, LLD
Senior Strategic Advisor
Ottawa
T: 613.780.8657
derek.burney@nortonrosefulbright.com

Veritas Vincit
David Raymond Amos

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Gallant, Premier Brian (PO/CPM)" <Brian.Gallant@gnb.ca>
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2018 19:48:30 +0000
Subject: RE: RE Request for information Attn Ellen C. Desmond Q.C.
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>

Thank you for writing to the Premier of New Brunswick. Please be
assured that your email will be reviewed.

If this is a media request, please forward your email to
media-medias@gnb.ca<mailto:media-medias@gnb.ca>. Thank you!

*************************************

Nous vous remercions d’avoir communiqué avec le premier ministre du
Nouveau-Brunswick. Soyez assuré(e) que votre courriel sera examiné.

Si ceci est une demande médiatique, prière de la transmettre à
media-medias@gnb.ca<mailto:media-medias@gnb.ca>. Merci!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2018 12:00:39 +0000
Subject: RE: RE Request for information Attn Ellen C. Desmond Q.C.
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Cc: NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>

Thank you for your email to the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board.

***

La Commission de l’énergie et des services publics du
Nouveau-Brunswick vous remercie pour votre courriel.

New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board
Commission de l’énergie et des services publics du Nouveau-Brunswick
general@nbeub.ca
Telephone : (506) 658-2504
Fax/Télécopieur : (506) 643-7300

Confidentiality Notice
This private message (and any attachments) is for the exclusive use of
the individual for whom, or entity for which, it is intended. It may
contain information that is privileged, confidential or exempt from
disclosure by law. Its author does not waive the protection afforded
to it under applicable law. Disclosure to anyone other than the
intended recipient does not constitute waiver of privilege. Its
possession or usage, by any person other than the one for whom it is
intended, is not authorized by its author and is strictly prohibited.
If you have received this communication in error, please notify us
immediately, at our expense, by telephone at (506) 658-2504. Also, if
you received this email in error, delete it and any attachments from
your computer system and records. Thank you.

Avis de confidentialité
Ce message privé (et toutes les pièces jointes) est à l'usage exclusif
de la personne pour laquelle ou entité pour laquelle, il est destiné.
Il peut contenir des informations qui sont personnelles,
confidentielles ou exemptées de la divulgation par la loi. Son auteur
ne renonce pas à la protection accordée en vertu de la loi applicable.
Sa divulgation à toute personne autre que son destinataire ne
constitue pas une renonciation de privilège. Sa possession ou
l'utilisation, par une personne autre que celle pour laquelle il est
destiné, n'est pas autorisée par son auteur et est strictement
interdite. Si vous recevez cette communication par erreur, veuillez
nous appeler dans les plus brefs délais, à frais virés, au (506)
658-2504. Aussi, si vous avez reçu ce courriel par erreur, veuillez
effacer ce courriel, ainsi que les pièces jointes, de votre système
informatique et de vos dossiers. Merci.

-----Original Message-----
From: David Amos [mailto:motomaniac333@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2018 4:48 PM
To: NBPRegulatory@nbpower.com; Mitchell, Kathleen
< Kathleen.Mitchell@nbeub.ca>; david.sollows@gnb.ca;
Gilles.volpe@enbridge.com; Paul.Volpe@enbridge.com;
dave.lavigne@enbridge.com; Hoyt, Len <len.hoyt@mcinnescooper.com>;
jeffery.callaghan@mcinnescooper.com; rzarumba@ceadvisors.com;
bdavis@ceadvisors.com; toneill@ceadvisors.com;
KissPartyofNB@gmail.com; hanrahan.dion@jdirving.com;
cstewart@stewartmckelvey.com; Furey, John <JFurey@nbpower.com>;
Harrison, Wanda <WHarrison@nbpower.com>; Russell, Stephen
< SRussell@nbpower.com>; Connelly Bosse, Natacha
< NConnellyBosse@nbpower.com>; Lawton, John <John.Lawton@nbeub.ca>;
Desmond, Ellen <ecdesmond@nbeub.ca>; Dickie, Michael
< Michael.Dickie@nbeub.ca>; Young, Dave <Dave.Young@nbeub.ca>;
NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca>; twoolf@synapse-energy.com;
ktakahashi@synapse-energy.com; anapoleon@synapse-energy.com;
ahopkins@synapse-energy.com; jmarusiak@synapse-energy.com;
chris_r_31@hotmail.com; heather.black@gnb.ca; rdk@indecon.com;
avitulli@indecon.com; efinamore@valutechsolutions.com;
rrichard@nb.aibn.com; leblanc.daniel.m@gmail.com;
sussexsharingclub@nb.aibn.com; jeff.garrett@sjenergy.com;
dan.dionne@perth-andover.com; pierreroy@edmundston.ca;
ray.robinson@sjenergy.com; marta.kelly@sjenergy.com;
sstoll@airdberlis.com; pzarnett@bdrenergy.com; Andrew Logan
< Andrew.Logan@tsdca.com>; john.logan <john.logan@gnb.ca>; rick.doucet
< rick.doucet@gnb.ca>; chris.collins <chris.collins@gnb.ca>;
brian.gallant <brian.gallant@gnb.ca>; tj <tj@burkelaw.ca>; dan.
bussieres <dan.bussieres@gnb.ca>; serge.rousselle
< serge.rousselle@gnb.ca>
Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos@gmail.com>;
davidcoon@greenpartynb.ca; sheppardmargo@gmail.com;
carmen.budilean@greenpartynb.ca; Robert. Jones <Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>;
Gilles.Moreau <Gilles.Moreau@forces.gc.ca>; Gilles.Blinn
< Gilles.Blinn@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>; ethics-ethique
< ethics-ethique@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>; Brenda.Lucki
< Brenda.Lucki@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>
Subject: RE Request for information Attn Ellen C. Desmond Q.C.

Ms Desmond

Thanks for finally admitting that I exist after eleven very long years.

However I don't believe you.

I have no doubt whatsoever if you or any other lawyer involved with
NBEUB matters required a tape of a public hearing you would have it
nearly instantly

Veritas Vincit
David Raymond Amos
902 800 0369

On 4/17/18, NBEUB/CESPNB <General@nbeub.ca> wrote:
> Good afternoon,
>
> Please see the attached letter from the New Brunswick Energy and
> Utilities Board.
>
> Regards,
>
> N.B. Energy and Utilities Board
> Commission de l'énergie et des services publics du N.-B.
> 15 Market Square - Suite 1400
> P.O. Box 5001/C.P. 5001
> Saint John, NB E2L 4Y9
> Telephone : 506-658-2504
> Fax/Télécopieur : 506-643-7300
> Email : general@nbeub.ca<mailto:general@nbeub.ca> / Courriel :
> general@cespnb.ca<mailto:general@cespnb.ca>
> Website: www.nbeub.ca<http://www.nbeub.ca/> / Site Web :
> www.cespnb.ca<http://www.cespnb.ca/>
>
> Confidentiality Notice This private message (and any attachments) is
> for the exclusive use of the individual for whom, or entity for which,
> it is intended. It may contain information that is privileged,
> confidential or exempt from disclosure by law. Its author does not
> waive the protection afforded to it under applicable law. Disclosure
> to anyone other than the intended recipient does not constitute waiver
> of privilege. Its possession or usage, by any person other than the
> one for whom it is intended, is not authorized by its author and is
> strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in
> error, please notify us immediately, at our expense, by telephone at
> (506) 658-2504. Also, if you received this email in error, delete it
> and any attachments from your computer system and records. Thank you.
>
> Avis de confidentialité
> Ce message privé (et toutes les pièces jointes) est à l'usage exclusif
> de la personne pour laquelle ou entité pour laquelle, il est destiné.
> Il peut contenir des informations qui sont personnelles,
> confidentielles ou exemptées de la divulgation par la loi. Son auteur
> ne renonce pas à la protection accordée en vertu de la loi applicable.
> Sa divulgation à toute personne autre que son destinataire ne
> constitue pas une renonciation de privilège. Sa possession ou
> l'utilisation, par une personne autre que celle pour laquelle il est
> destiné, n'est pas autorisée par son auteur et est strictement
> interdite. Si vous recevez cette communication par erreur, veuillez
> nous appeler dans les plus brefs délais, à frais virés, au (506)
> 658-2504. Aussi, si vous avez reçu ce courriel par erreur, veuillez
> effacer ce courriel, ainsi que les pièces jointes, de votre système informatique et de vos dossiers. Merci.
>
>

---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2018 08:56:44 -0400
Subject: Attn Andrew Logan RE NBEUB, NB Power and your upcoming report
on KPMG's secretive work
To: andrew.logan@tsdca.com
Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos@gmail.com>

Good Day Sir

I just called and you did not pick up so I left a message with your assistant.

Your name came up during the hearing I attended on April 3rd, 2018
Clearly I have studied you a bit. Now its your turn to check me out. I
believe I am being fair. Trust that there is much more for you to know
before you create a report on KPMG's work.

Please view attachments and ask me anything you wish.

I sent you and many others an email this weekend that was acknowledged
by the board this morning and I published it within my blog.

http://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.ca/2018/04/i-bet-nb-power-and-many-lawyers-such-as.html

Thursday, 5 April 2018

I bet NB Power and many lawyers such as Michael Dixon are cursing me
about now N'esy Pas?

Now I will try to talk to you before publishing this email. Quite
frankly I want to see how you respond to me on a personal level before
Mr Furey and the other lawyers advise you to ignore my concerns. Some
of which you will find below.

Veritas Vincit
David Raymond Amos
902 800 0369

https://www.teedsaundersdoyle.com/our-team/show/19

Andrew Logan Partner
Saint John
(506) 633-9572

andrew.logan@tsdca.com

Andrew Logan is all about helping people. His profession involves
work that builds personal connections, and that makes sense for this
guy who was born and raised in Saint John. He’s a CPA with more than
30 years experience, and he came to Teed Saunders Doyle 20 years ago
looking to work with small and medium-sized businesses. He loves his
work, especially on the days he can ride his Harley Davidson to the
office.

First things first.

http://www.nbeub.ca/images/documents/2009-06-26-Report-3-Percent-E.pdf

Whereas you were involved with making a report on the PDVSA matter, I
should inform you that I took an interest in it before I ran in the
election of the 39th Parliament and the comment section of Charles
Leblanc's old blog from 12 years ago affirms it;

http://oldmaison.blogspot.ca/2006/04/roomers-truly-have-no-rights.html

March 24, 2006

Michael “Tanker” Malley
C/o Cleveland Allaby
480 Queen Street
Suite # 200
Fredericton NB. E3B 1B6

Simpson Thacher & Barlett LLP
C/o Derek Burney
Chair of the Board of Directors of NB Power
515 King Street Fredricton, NB E3B 4X1

Jody Carr
C/o Paul Blackmore
Chestnut Complex
470 York Street
Fredericton, NBE3B 3P7

Patrick A.A. Ryan
Edgecombe House
736 King Street
Fredericton, NB E3B 1G2
Re: Public Corruption

Sirs,

Pursuant to my many phone calls and email to your offices please find
enclosed the material I promised to you before I file my complaints in
Federal Court in Fredericton. The CD which is a true copy of wiretap
tape number 139 is served upon you all in confidence as officers of
the court in order that it may be investigated byway of my suing the
Crown.

While Norm Betts and Derek Burney’s buddy Stevey Boy Harper is busy in
New Brunswick today trying hard to shore up the shaky government of
Jody Carr’s buddy, Bernie Lord with long delayed federal tax dollars.
I am polishing off my promises to crooked lawyers in the hope that the
very corrupt House crumbles ASAP. If not maybe President Chavez will
help me bankrupt the crooks working within NB Power within a crooked
government’s blessing. Methinks Tanker will need another lawyer if the
one he has now continues to play dumb. Lord paid Allaby a lot of money
to study the doings of the Justice Dept a long time ago. He should
understand the scene.

Shame on you all for forcing me to go to such lengths to protect my
rights under the Charter. Methinks you have underestimated my
diligence EH? Now ask yourselves why I don’t sue you after I sue the
Crown? I fail to see any reason not to. That is the only way I know of
to hold such people as you accountable. Stevey Boy Harper never will
even though he talks the talk of such things. Everybody knows what I
served upon his party’s lawyer Arthur Hamilton before I was falsely
imprisoned in the USA in 2004.

Despite whatever Act our latest Prime Minister wishes to introduce to
the Canadian people that he claims will compel our government to act
with integrity, he can never deny my right to drag anyone into court.
In fact he has done so himself in the past and I am no less of a man
than he. Even a simple pigheaded Maritimer has the right to argue the
law even with people who think themselves above it. How you all have
failed to uphold the law and the public trust placed in your public
office is either a matter of public record or soon shall be or my name
ain’t Dave. There is no Democracy without Truth and Justice. It is
just that simple.

Thats all for now fellas. I look forward to seeing you all in court
someday or I will die trying to make it happen in an ethical fashion.
It is just another one of those things I do that lawyers fail to
appreciate. Ask your friends why that is if you don’t already know.

Veritas Vincit
David Raymond Amos
P.O. Box 234
Apohaqui, NB. E5P 3G2

Hey Mr. Costello
Need I say I was not impressed by you yesterday. At least you
confessed that you knew who I was but so much for a jealous defense of
your client’s interests. EH? That said there is no need to send you
hard copy of my material. Your associates within McInnes Cooper
already have enough to review and confer with you about.

Perhaps you should call the dudes or ladies (: Tell them how I chuck
rocks will ya? from Patterson Palmer in Halifax that merged with your
firm or better yet Lenny Hoyt and Franky Boy McKenna. In my humble
opinion your little buddy Franky Boy as Canadian Ambassador should
have tried to stop NB Power’s malicious lawsuit against Venezeula in
the USA before it picked up steam. But what do I know. EH? I think the
dudes from Venezeula were wise to bring the issues back to the
Maritimes and into the Irvings’ lap. I think it was a hoot that they
employed your firm to do so. What say you?

Whereas you do not wish to speak to me I will speak to these dudes
about you,

Embassy of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,
32 Range Rd
Ottawa Ontario
K1N 8J4,
Phone: 613 235-5151

and then send them what I sent Allan Rock Franky Boy Mckenna and the
FBI almost one year ago. Perhaps you should call some of your friends
mentioned below that I served my stuff upon yesterday after I talked
to you and ask them what the Hell I am up to if you don’t already
know.

Veritas Vincit
David Raymond Amos

P.S. the following was an interesting article to come out in the local
paper just as Humpty Dumpty had the Governor Gerneral drop the Writ on
the last election. It certainly seems to me that the Irving’s and
Bernie Lord were trying hard to help Stevey Boy Harper’s government
and John Wallace get elected in order to protect their own selfish
interests. EH? If he won’t tell ya then ask me why Franky Boy does not
want to be the liberal leader right now. I Double Dog Dare Ya. As I
said in closing yesterday you have my number but maybe the dudes from
Venezeula lost it so here it is again 506 434 1379. Your problem is do
I want to talk to you now. Whilst I am talking to your clients about
your incompetance I will explain to them why I am preparing to sue
your whole god damned law firm.

November 25, 2005

Liberal leader ‘jeopardizing’ NB Power’s chances in lawsuit over
failed Orimulsion deal: Tory MLA

New Brunswickers should question whether Liberal Leader Shawn Graham
is fighting for them or for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, says a
Tory MLA. Jody Carr, MLA for Oromocto-Gagetown, made the stinging
indictment against Mr.Graham Thursday during a heated committee
hearing where the Liberal leader took repeated swipes at David Hay, NB
Power’s president and chief executive officer, for failing to answer
legal questions regarding the utility’s Orimulsion lawsuit.

Mr. Graham questioned some of the tactics being advanced by NB
Power’s legal staff and demanded to know how much the power
corporation budgeted for the legal battle against the Venezuelan
government and its state-owned oil company.

Mr. Carr said the Liberal leader crossed the line in Thursday’s
committee hearing and could endanger NB Power’s lawsuit. “The issue is
complicated and it shows the issue is far over his head to what he can
comprehend,” Mr. Carr said in an interview later."He was in effect
working on the side of the Venezuelan government by jeopardizing the
court proceedings."He was jeopardizing the chances of government and
NB Power recouping the $2.2 billion in savings and therefore, in
essence, that put him on the other side.”

NB Power restarted its lawsuit on Sept. 1, when it filed a statement
of claim looking for $2.2 billion in financial damages, which equates
to the price difference between purchasing heavy fuel oil to burn at
the Coleson Cove Generation Station and Orimulsion, a cheap
water-and-bitumen mixture patented by Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A.
(PDVSA).

NB Power has hired Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales to quarterback the
lawsuits filed in Fredericton and New York along with Simpson Thacher
& Bartlett LLP to serve as their U.S. counsel. Mr. Hay estimated that
the corporation has already spent as much as $600,000 on legal bills
relating to the Orimulsion lawsuit.

The Liberal leader grew increasingly frustrated when Mr. Hay
stonewalled his attempt to get a firm answer on NB Power’s budget for
Orimulsion-related legal fees. “For the life of me I can’t understand
how it could jeopardize the court proceedings in saying how much we
are thinking this court challenge may cost,”

Mr. Graham said.Throughout the committee session, Mr. Hay assured the
Liberal leader that the power corporation was evaluating the
risk-reward ratio at each legal “fork in the road.”

Mr. Hay said he cannot disclose any details that could tip the
utility’s legal hand considering the Venezuelans are keeping a close
eye on the proceedings."We are dealing with people with extremely deep
pockets. And if you go to a poker game “... and you say, I have my
$1,000 here or whatever it is you are playing with, that gives an
advantage to the other side,” Mr. Hay said.

Mr. Carr also accused Mr. Graham of misleading Saint John residents
about the Orimulsion costs during the recent byelection campaign in
Saint John Harbour. Mr. Carr said he found it disconcerting that
Liberal campaign signs said the Conservative government lost $2.2
billion through the bungled Orimulsion fuel deal but now Mr. Graham
admits the money was a “potential loss of savings.”

- Daniel McHardie - Canadaeast News Service Source: Telegraph-Journal
| page A5 on Nov. 25, 2005

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/junior-minister-left-to-defend-lord-s-comments-1.587503

Junior minister left to defend Lord's comments
CBC News · Posted: Feb 20, 2006 4:33 PM AT

One of Bernard Lord's newest cabinet ministers is defending his boss
in the midst of a political firestorm that has left New Brunswick with
a minority government.

A prominent Fredericton lawyer and long-time Tory supporter who found
himself caught up in the story is also demanding a personal apology
from the premier.

Lord refused to comment on the situation Monday, but left his
newly-minted minister of post-secondary education and training, Jody
Carr, to tell CBC he's proud of his leader.

Carr says he supports Lord's decison to hold a press conference about
a conversation he had with outgoing Conservative member Michael
(Tanker) Malley.

"What Tanker said publicly is that he went Independent because the
Miramichi wasn't getting its fair share, and the premier felt that
that was contradicting the truth, and he wanted to lay the facts out."

Malley quit the party Friday night to sit as an Independent,
frustrated that he was left out of cabinet and claiming that his
riding hasn't received enough support from Lord's government.

Lord's Conservatives now hold 27 seats, the Liberals hold 26, with two
Independents Malley and Frank Branch.

READ MALLEY'S LETTER OF RESIGNATION: 'I will no longer be taken
for granted,' Malley writes

Lord responded to Malley's decision by holding a news conference on
Saturday, saying he had no regrets about the loss. Lord told reporters
that Malley demanded a number of unreasonable favours, including the
appointment of lawyer Cleveland Allaby to the bench as a provincial
court judge.

"The first item on his list was to appoint his friend Cleveland Allaby
as judge of the province of New Brunswick," Lord said.

But that was news to Allaby, who says he couldn't believe his ears
when he heard Lord had mentioned his name in connection with Malley's
defection. He says he never asked Malley to try to get him a judicial
appointment and is insulted at the suggestion.

"I did not ask him to do that, and for him to assume that I'm behind
some nefarious plot if indeed that's what they talked about at the
meeting because we don't know I have real difficulty with that."

Allaby, a staunch supporter of the party who once ran for the
leadership, admits Malley is a friend but says when he asked Malley
about this list of demands, Malley told him his conversations with the
premier were confidential and he couldn't tell him anything.

Allaby says the premier could learn a lesson from Malley. "Let me know
what you're saying. Rather than this pot-shotting, this
cheap-shotting, this behind the backs, sneaky business that's going
on. Stand up and be a man."

Allaby says he wants an apology directly from Lord, in person, face to
face and not over the phone.

Liberal house leader Kelly Lamrock admits the turn of events has left
his party feeling like a hockey team that skates onto the ice to find
its opponents in a bench-clearing brawl, but says his caucus will
focus on the issues facing the province – and getting ready for the
next election.

He says if Lord is dumb enough to blurt out Allaby's name to the media
and air his party's dirty laundry he'll enjoy the show. "I certainly
think when we vote in the upcoming [session of the] legislature we
will find there is little to be gained by letting a tired government,
ripped apart by infighting and not focused on the province, carry on."

The Lord government could fall as soon as April 7, when the house is
expected to vote on Finance Minister Jeannot Volpé's spring budget.

Obviously I must ask before you created your report did you ever see
all the documents that accompanied this cover letter to NB Power's
Chairman of the Board in 2006? FYI the NB Power lawyers filed as
Appendix "G" in the 375 Matter as well

www.nbeub.ca/opt/M/get_document.php?doc=176623&no=21329

What you may not know is that I asked your firm if they would audit my
records as per Elections Canada's rules as I ran in the Election of
the 42nd Parliament. Your firm refused me as is your right to do.

However I was truly amazed that nobdy would even some fancy people in
Toronto so I made a complaint to the the Glogal Oversight of the
accounting business and got a respnse. Months later obviously I found
an auditor who was not afraid of Mr Harper and his cohorts and managed
to run for Parliament again. Even though CBC ignored its
"Non-Partisan" mandate and denied that simple fact for the fifth time
Rogers TV did not.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Gallant, Premier Brian (PO/CPM)" <Brian.Gallant@gnb.ca>
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2016 17:05:07 +0000
Subject: RE: So what does Premier Gallant and Minister Doucet et al
think of my lawsuit? How about David Coon and his blogging buddy
Chucky joking about being illegally barred from parliamentary property
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>

Thank you for writing to the Premier of New Brunswick.
Please be assured that your email has been received, will be reviewed,
and a response will be forthcoming.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to write.

Merci d'avoir communiqué avec le premier ministre du Nouveau-Brunswick.
Soyez assuré que votre courriel a bien été reçu, qu'il sera examiné
et qu'une réponse vous sera acheminée.
Merci encore d'avoir pris de temps de nous écrire.

Sincerely, / Sincèrement,
Mallory Fowler
Correspondence Manager / Gestionnaire de la correspondance
Office of the Premier / Cabinet du premier ministre

On 1/19/18, David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com> wrote:

>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: David Amos motomaniac333@gmail.com
>> Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2017 09:32:09 -0400
>> Subject: Attn Integrity Commissioner Alexandre Deschênes, Q.C.,
>> To: coi@gnb.ca
>> Cc: david.raymond.amos@gmail.com
>>
>> Good Day Sir
>>
>> After I heard you speak on CBC I called your office again and managed
>> to speak to one of your staff for the first time
>>
>> Please find attached the documents I promised to send to the lady who
>> answered the phone this morning. Please notice that not after the Sgt
>> at Arms took the documents destined to your office his pal Tanker
>> Malley barred me in writing with an "English" only document.
>>
>> These are the hearings and the dockets in Federal Court that I
>> suggested that you study closely.
>>
>> This is the docket in Federal Court
>>
>> http://cas-cdc-www02.cas-satj.gc.ca/IndexingQueries/infp_RE_info_e.php?court_no=T-1557-15&select_court=T
>>
>> These are digital recordings of the last three hearings
>>
>> Dec 14th https://archive.org/details/BahHumbug
>>
>> January 11th, 2016 https://archive.org/details/Jan11th2015
>>
>> April 3rd, 2017
>>
>> https://archive.org/details/April32017JusticeLeblancHearing
>>
>>
>> This is the docket in the Federal Court of Appeal
>>
>> http://cas-cdc-www02.cas-satj.gc.ca/IndexingQueries/infp_RE_info_e.php?court_no=A-48-16&select_court=All
>>
>>
>> The only hearing thus far
>>
>> May 24th, 2017
>>
>> https://archive.org/details/May24thHoedown
>>
>>
>> This Judge understnds the meaning of the word Integrity
>>
>> Date: 20151223
>>
>> Docket: T-1557-15
>>
>> Fredericton, New Brunswick, December 23, 2015
>>
>> PRESENT: The Honourable Mr. Justice Bell
>>
>> BETWEEN:
>>
>> DAVID RAYMOND AMOS
>>
>> Plaintiff
>>
>> and
>>
>> HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN
>>
>> Defendant
>>
>> ORDER
>>
>> (Delivered orally from the Bench in Fredericton, New Brunswick, on
>> December 14, 2015)
>>
>> The Plaintiff seeks an appeal de novo, by way of motion pursuant to
>> the Federal Courts Rules (SOR/98-106), from an Order made on November
>> 12, 2015, in which Prothonotary Morneau struck the Statement of Claim
>> in its entirety.
>>
>> At the outset of the hearing, the Plaintiff brought to my attention a
>> letter dated September 10, 2004, which he sent to me, in my then
>> capacity as Past President of the New Brunswick Branch of the Canadian
>> Bar Association, and the then President of the Branch, Kathleen Quigg,
>> (now a Justice of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal). In that letter
>> he stated:
>>
>> As for your past President, Mr. Bell, may I suggest that you check the
>> work of Frank McKenna before I sue your entire law firm including you.
>> You are your brother’s keeper.
>>
>> Frank McKenna is the former Premier of New Brunswick and a former
>> colleague of mine at the law firm of McInnes Cooper. In addition to
>> expressing an intention to sue me, the Plaintiff refers to a number of
>> people in his Motion Record who he appears to contend may be witnesses
>> or potential parties to be added. Those individuals who are known to
>> me personally, include, but are not limited to the former Prime
>> Minister of Canada, The Right Honourable Stephen Harper; former
>> Attorney General of Canada and now a Justice of the Manitoba Court of
>> Queen’s Bench, Vic Toews; former member of Parliament Rob Moore;
>> former Director of Policing Services, the late Grant Garneau; former
>> Chief of the Fredericton Police Force, Barry McKnight; former Staff
>> Sergeant Danny Copp; my former colleagues on the New Brunswick Court
>> of Appeal, Justices Bradley V. Green and Kathleen Quigg, and, retired
>> Assistant Commissioner Wayne Lang of the Royal Canadian Mounted
>> Police.
>>
>> In the circumstances, given the threat in 2004 to sue me in my
>> personal capacity and my past and present relationship with many
>> potential witnesses and/or potential parties to the litigation, I am
>> of the view there would be a reasonable apprehension of bias should I
>> hear this motion. See Justice de Grandpré’s dissenting judgment in
>> Committee for Justice and Liberty et al v National Energy Board et al,
>> [1978] 1 SCR 369 at p 394 for the applicable test regarding
>> allegations of bias. In the circumstances, although neither party has
>> requested I recuse myself, I consider it appropriate that I do so.
>>
>>
>> AS A RESULT OF MY RECUSAL, THIS COURT ORDERS that the Administrator of
>> the Court schedule another date for the hearing of the motion. There
>> is no order as to costs.
>>
>> “B. Richard Bell”
>> Judge
>>
>>
>> Below after the CBC article about your concerns (I made one comment
>> already) you will find the text of just two of many emails I had sent
>> to your office over the years since I first visited it in 2006.
>>
>> I noticed that on July 30, 2009, he was appointed to the the Court
>> Martial Appeal Court of Canada Perhaps you should scroll to the
>> bottom of this email ASAP and read the entire Paragraph 83 of my
>> lawsuit now before the Federal Court of Canada?
>>
>> "FYI This is the text of the lawsuit that should interest Trudeau the
>> most
>>
>>
>> ---------- Original message ----------
>> From: justin.trudeau.a1@parl.gc.ca
>> Date: Thu, Oct 22, 2015 at 8:18 PM
>> Subject: Réponse automatique : RE My complaint against the CROWN in
>> Federal Court Attn David Hansen and Peter MacKay If you planning to
>> submit a motion for a publication ban on my complaint trust that you
>> dudes are way past too late
>> To: david.raymond.amos@gmail.com
>>
>> Veuillez noter que j'ai changé de courriel. Vous pouvez me rejoindre à
>> lalanthier@hotmail.com
>>
>> Pour rejoindre le bureau de M. Trudeau veuillez envoyer un courriel à
>> tommy.desfosses@parl.gc.ca
>>
>> Please note that I changed email address, you can reach me at
>> lalanthier@hotmail.com
>>
>> To reach the office of Mr. Trudeau please send an email to
>> tommy.desfosses@parl.gc.ca
>>
>> Thank you,
>>
>> Merci ,
>>
>>
>> http://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.ca/2015/09/v-behaviorurldefaultvmlo.html
>>
>>
>> 83. The Plaintiff states that now that Canada is involved in more war
>> in Iraq again it did not serve Canadian interests and reputation to
>> allow Barry Winters to publish the following words three times over
>> five years after he began his bragging:
>>
>> January 13, 2015
>> This Is Just AS Relevant Now As When I wrote It During The Debate
>>
>> December 8, 2014
>> Why Canada Stood Tall!
>>
>> Friday, October 3, 2014
>> Little David Amos’ “True History Of War” Canadian Airstrikes And
>> Stupid Justin Trudeau
>>
>> Canada’s and Canadians free ride is over. Canada can no longer hide
>> behind Amerka’s and NATO’s skirts.
>>
>> When I was still in Canadian Forces then Prime Minister Jean Chretien
>> actually committed the Canadian Army to deploy in the second campaign
>> in Iraq, the Coalition of the Willing. This was against or contrary to
>> the wisdom or advice of those of us Canadian officers that were
>> involved in the initial planning phases of that operation. There were
>> significant concern in our planning cell, and NDHQ about of the dearth
>> of concern for operational guidance, direction, and forces for
>> operations after the initial occupation of Iraq. At the “last minute”
>> Prime Minister Chretien and the Liberal government changed its mind.
>> The Canadian government told our amerkan cousins that we would not
>> deploy combat troops for the Iraq campaign, but would deploy a
>> Canadian Battle Group to Afghanistan, enabling our amerkan cousins to
>> redeploy troops from there to Iraq. The PMO’s thinking that it was
>> less costly to deploy Canadian Forces to Afghanistan than Iraq. But
>> alas no one seems to remind the Liberals of Prime Minister Chretien’s
>> then grossly incorrect assumption. Notwithstanding Jean Chretien’s
>> incompetence and stupidity, the Canadian Army was heroic,
>> professional, punched well above it’s weight, and the PPCLI Battle
>> Group, is credited with “saving Afghanistan” during the Panjway
>> campaign of 2006.
>>
>> What Justin Trudeau and the Liberals don’t tell you now, is that then
>> Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien committed, and deployed the
>> Canadian army to Canada’s longest “war” without the advice, consent,
>> support, or vote of the Canadian Parliament.
>>
>> What David Amos and the rest of the ignorant, uneducated, and babbling
>> chattering classes are too addled to understand is the deployment of
>> less than 75 special operations troops, and what is known by planners
>> as a “six pac cell” of fighter aircraft is NOT the same as a
>> deployment of a Battle Group, nor a “war” make.
>>
>> The Canadian Government or The Crown unlike our amerkan cousins have
>> the “constitutional authority” to commit the Canadian nation to war.
>> That has been recently clearly articulated to the Canadian public by
>> constitutional scholar Phillippe Legasse. What Parliament can do is
>> remove “confidence” in The Crown’s Government in a “vote of
>> non-confidence.” That could not happen to the Chretien Government
>> regarding deployment to Afghanistan, and it won’t happen in this
>> instance with the conservative majority in The Commons regarding a
>> limited Canadian deployment to the Middle East.
>>
>> President George Bush was quite correct after 911 and the terror
>> attacks in New York; that the Taliban “occupied” and “failed state”
>> Afghanistan was the source of logistical support, command and control,
>> and training for the Al Quaeda war of terror against the world. The
>> initial defeat, and removal from control of Afghanistan was vital and
>>
>> P.S. Whereas this CBC article is about your opinion of the actions of
>> the latest Minister Of Health trust that Mr Boudreau and the CBC have
>> had my files for many years and the last thing they are is ethical.
>> Ask his friends Mr Murphy and the RCMP if you don't believe me.
>>
>> Subject:
>> Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 12:02:35 -0400
>> From: "Murphy, Michael B. $DH/MS$" MichaelB.Murphy@gnb.ca
>> To: motomaniac_02186@yahoo.com
>>
>> January 30, 2007
>>
>> WITHOUT PREJUDICE
>>
>> Mr. David Amos
>>
>> Dear Mr. Amos:
>>
>> This will acknowledge receipt of a copy of your e-mail of December 29,
>> 2006 to Corporal Warren McBeath of the RCMP.
>>
>> Because of the nature of the allegations made in your message, I have
>> taken the measure of forwarding a copy to Assistant Commissioner Steve
>> Graham of the RCMP “J” Division in Fredericton.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Honourable Michael B. Murphy
>> Minister of Health
>>
>> CM/cb
>>
>>
>> Warren McBeath warren.mcbeath@rcmp-grc.gc.ca wrote:
>>
>> Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 17:34:53 -0500
>> From: "Warren McBeath" warren.mcbeath@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
>> To: kilgoursite@ca.inter.net, MichaelB.Murphy@gnb.ca,
>> nada.sarkis@gnb.ca, wally.stiles@gnb.ca, dwatch@web.net,
>> motomaniac_02186@yahoo.com
>> CC: ottawa@chuckstrahl.com, riding@chuckstrahl.com,John.Foran@gnb.ca,
>> Oda.B@parl.gc.ca,"Bev BUSSON" bev.busson@rcmp-grc.gc.ca,
>> "Paul Dube" PAUL.DUBE@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
>> Subject: Re: Remember me Kilgour? Landslide Annie McLellan has
>> forgotten me but the crooks within the RCMP have not
>>
>> Dear Mr. Amos,
>>
>> Thank you for your follow up e-mail to me today. I was on days off
>> over the holidays and returned to work this evening. Rest assured I
>> was not ignoring or procrastinating to respond to your concerns.
>>
>> As your attachment sent today refers from Premier Graham, our position
>> is clear on your dead calf issue: Our forensic labs do not process
>> testing on animals in cases such as yours, they are referred to the
>> Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown who can provide these
>> services. If you do not choose to utilize their expertise in this
>> instance, then that is your decision and nothing more can be done.
>>
>> As for your other concerns regarding the US Government, false
>> imprisonment and Federal Court Dates in the US, etc... it is clear
>> that Federal authorities are aware of your concerns both in Canada
>> the US. These issues do not fall into the purvue of Detachment
>> and policing in Petitcodiac, NB.
>>
>> It was indeed an interesting and informative conversation we had on
>> December 23rd, and I wish you well in all of your future endeavors.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Warren McBeath, Cpl.
>> GRC Caledonia RCMP
>> Traffic Services NCO
>> Ph: (506) 387-2222
>> Fax: (506) 387-4622
>> E-mail warren.mcbeath@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
>>
>>
>>
>> Alexandre Deschênes, Q.C.,
>> Office of the Integrity Commissioner
>> Edgecombe House, 736 King Street
>> Fredericton, N.B. CANADA E3B 5H1
>> tel.: 506-457-7890
>> fax: 506-444-5224
>> e-mail:coi@gnb.ca
>>
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: David Amos motomaniac333@gmail.com
>> Date: Wed, Sep 23, 2015 at 10:35 AM
>> Subject: RE My complaint against the CROWN in Federal Court Attn David
>> Hansen and Peter MacKay If you planning to submit a motion for a
>> publication ban on my complaint trust that you dudes are way past too late
>> To: David.Hansen@justice.gc.ca, peter.mackay@justice.gc.ca
>> peacock.kurt@telegraphjournal.com, mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com,
>> david.akin@sunmedia.ca, robert.frater@justice.gc.ca,
>> paul.riley@ppsc-sppc.gc.ca,
>> greg@gregdelbigio.com, joyce.dewitt-vanoosten@gov.bc.ca,
>> joan.barrett@ontario.ca, jean-vincent.lacroix@gouv.qc.ca,
>> peter.rogers@mcinnescooper.com, mfeder@mccarthy.ca, mjamal@osler.com
>> Cc: david.raymond.amos@gmail.com, gopublic@cbc.ca,
>> Whistleblower@ctv.ca
>>
>> https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/14439/index.do
>>
>> http://www.scc-csc.gc.ca/WebDocuments-DocumentsWeb/35072/FM030_Respondent_Attorney-General-of-Canada-on-Behalf-of-the-United-States-of-America.pdf
>>
>> http://thedavidamosrant.blogspot.ca/2013/10/re-glen-greenwald-and-brazilian.html
>>
>> I repeat what the Hell do I do with the Yankee wiretapes taps sell
>> them on Ebay or listen to them and argue them with you dudes in
>> Feferal Court?
>>
>> Petey Baby loses all parliamentary privelges in less than a month but
>> he still supposed to be an ethical officer of the Court CORRECT?
>>
>> Veritas Vincit
>> David Raymond Amos
>> 902 800 0369
>>
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: David Amos motomaniac333@gmail.com
>> Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2012 14:10:14 -0400
>> Subject: Yo Mr Bauer say hey to your client Obama and his buddies in
>> the USDOJ for me will ya?
>> To: RBauer@perkinscoie.com, sshimshak@paulweiss.com,
>> cspada@lswlaw.com, msmith@svlaw.com, bginsberg@pattonboggs.com,
>> gregory.craig@skadden.com, pm@pm.gc.ca, bob.paulson@rcmp-grc.gc.ca,
>> bob.rae@rogers.blackberry.net, MulcaT@parl.gc.ca, leader@greenparty.ca
>> Cc: alevine@cooley.com, david.raymond.amos@gmail.com,
>> michael.rothfeld@wsj.com, remery@ecbalaw.com
>>
>> QSLS Politics
>> By Location Visit Detail
>> Visit 29,419
>> Domain Name usdoj.gov ? (U.S. Government)
>> IP Address 149.101.1.# (US Dept of Justice)
>> ISP US Dept of Justice
>> Location Continent : North America
>> Country : United States (Facts)
>> State : District of Columbia
>> City : Washington
>> Lat/Long : 38.9097, -77.0231 (Map)
>> Language English (U.S.) en-us
>> Operating System Microsoft WinXP
>> Browser Internet Explorer 8.0
>> Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 5.1; Trident/4.0; .NET
>> CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; InfoPath.2;
>> DI60SP1001)
>> Javascript version 1.3
>> Monitor Resolution : 1024 x 768
>> Color Depth : 32 bits
>> Time of Visit Nov 17 2012 6:33:08 pm
>> Last Page View Nov 17 2012 6:33:08 pm
>> Visit Length 0 seconds
>> Page Views 1
>> Referring URL http://www.google.co...wwWJrm94lCEqRmovPXJg
>> Search Engine google.com
>> Search Words david amos bernie madoff
>> Visit Entry Page http://qslspolitics....-wendy-olsen-on.html
>> Visit Exit Page http://qslspolitics....-wendy-olsen-on.html
>> Out Click
>> Time Zone UTC-5:00
>> Visitor's Time Nov 17 2012 12:33:08 pm
>> Visit Number 29,419
>>
>> http://qslspolitics.blogspot.com/2009/03/david-amos-to-wendy-olsen-on.html
>>
>>
>> Could ya tell I am investigating your pension plan bigtime? Its
>> because no member of the RCMP I have ever encountered has earned it yet
>>
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: David Amos motomaniac333@gmail.com
>> Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2012 11:36:04 -0400
>> Subject: This is a brief as I can make my concerns Randy
>> To: randyedmunds@gov.nl.ca
>> Cc: david.raymond.amos@gmail.com
>>
>> In a nutshell my concerns about the actions of the Investment Industry
>> affect the interests of every person in every district of every
>> country not just the USA and Canada. I was offering to help you with
>> Emera because my work with them and Danny Williams is well known and
>> some of it is over eight years old and in the PUBLIC Record.
>>
>> All you have to do is stand in the Legislature and ask the MInister of
>> Justice why I have been invited to sue Newfoundland by the
>> Conservatives
>>
>>
>> Obviously I am the guy the USDOJ and the SEC would not name who is the
>> link to Madoff and Putnam Investments
>>
>> Here is why
>>
>> http://banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=90f8e691-9065-4f8c-a465-72722b47e7f2
>>
>> Notice the transcripts and webcasts of the hearing of the US Senate
>> Banking Commitee are still missing? Mr Emory should at least notice
>> Eliot Spitzer and the Dates around November 20th, 2003 in the
>> following file
>>
>> http://www.checktheevidence.com/pdf/2526023-DAMOSIntegrity-yea-right.-txt.pdf
>>
>> http://occupywallst.org/users/DavidRaymondAmos/
>>
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: "Hansen, David" David.Hansen@justice.gc.ca
>> Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2013 19:28:44 +0000
>> Subject: RE: I just called again Mr Hansen
>> To: David Amos motomaniac333@gmail.com
>>
>> Hello Mr. Amos,
>>
>> I manage the Justice Canada civil litigation section in the Atlantic
>> region. We are only responsible for litigating existing civil
>> litigation files in which the Attorney General of Canada is a named
>> defendant or plaintiff. If you are a plaintiff or defendant in an
>> existing civil litigation matter in the Atlantic region in which
>> Attorney General of Canada is a named defendant or plaintiff please
>> provide the court file number, the names of the parties in the action
>> and your question. I am not the appropriate contact for other
>> matters.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> David A. Hansen
>> Regional Director | Directeur régional
>> General Counsel |Avocat général
>> Civil Litigation and Advisory | Contentieux des affaires civiles et
>> services de consultation
>> Department of Justice | Ministère de la Justice
>> Suite 1400 – Duke Tower | Pièce 1400 – Tour Duke
>> 5251 Duke Street | 5251 rue Duke
>> Halifax, Nova Scotia | Halifax, Nouvelle- Écosse
>> B3J 1P3
>> david.hansen@justice.gc.ca
>> Telephone | Téléphone (902) 426-3261 / Facsimile | Télécopieur (902)
>> 426-2329
>> This e-mail is confidential and may be protected by solicitor-client
>> privilege. Unauthorized distribution or disclosure is prohibited. If
>> you have received this e-mail in error, please notify us and delete
>> this entire e-mail.
>> Before printing think about the Environment
>> Thinking Green, please do not print this e-mail unless necessary.
>> Pensez vert, svp imprimez que si nécessaire.
>>
>>
>>>
>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>> From: David Amos motomaniac333@gmail.com
>>> Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2013 02:23:24 -0300
>>> Subject: ATTN FBI Special Agent Richard Deslauriers Have you talked to
>>> your buddies Fred Wyshak and Brian Kelly about the wiretap tapes YET?
>>> To: boston@ic.fbi.gov, washington.field@ic.fbi.gov,
>>> bob.paulson@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, Kevin.leahy@rcmp-grc.gc.ca,
>>> Brian.Kelly@usdoj.gov, us.marshals@usdoj.gov, Fred.Wyshak@usdoj.gov,
>>> jcarney@carneybassil.com, bbachrach@bachrachlaw.net
>>> Cc: david.raymond.amos@gmail.com, birgittaj@althingi.is,
>>> shmurphy@globe.com, redicecreations@gmail.com
>>>
>>> FBI Boston
>>> One Center Plaza
>>> Suite 600
>>> Boston, MA 02108
>>> Phone: (617) 742-5533
>>> Fax: (617) 223-6327
>>> E-mail: Boston@ic.fbi.gov
>>>
>>> Hours
>>> Although we operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, our normal
>>> "walk-in" business hours are from 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday
>>> through Friday. If you need to speak with a FBI representative at any
>>> time other than during normal business hours, please telephone our
>>> office at (617) 742-5533.
>>>
>>>
>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>> From: David Amos motomaniac333@gmail.com
>>> Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 01:20:20 -0300
>>> Subject: Yo Fred Wyshak and Brian Kelly your buddy Whitey's trial is
>>> finally underway now correct? What the hell do I do with the wiretap
>>> tapes Sell them on Ebay?
>>> To: Brian.Kelly@usdoj.gov, us.marshals@usdoj.gov,
>>> Fred.Wyshak@usdoj.gov, jcarney@carneybassil.com,
>>> bbachrach@bachrachlaw.net, wolfheartlodge@live.com, shmurphy@globe.com,
>>> >> jonathan.albano@bingham.com, mvalencia@globe.com
>>> Cc: david.raymond.amos@gmail.com, oldmaison@yahoo.com,
>>> PATRICK.MURPHY@dhs.gov, rounappletree@aol.com
>>>
>>> http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/06/05/james-whitey-bulger-jury-selection-process-enters-second-day/KjS80ofyMMM5IkByK74bkK/story.html
>>>
>>> http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/06/09/nsa-leak-guardian.html
>>>
>>> As the CBC etc yap about Yankee wiretaps and whistleblowers I must ask
>>> them the obvious question AIN'T THEY FORGETTING SOMETHING????
>>>
>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vugUalUO8YY
>>>
>>> What the hell does the media think my Yankee lawyer served upon the
>>> USDOJ right after I ran for and seat in the 39th Parliament baseball
>>> cards?
>>>
>>> http://www.archive.org/details/FedsUsTreasuryDeptRcmpEtc
>>>
>>> http://archive.org/details/ITriedToExplainItToAllMaritimersInEarly2006
>>>
>>> http://davidamos.blogspot.ca/2006/05/wiretap-tapes-impeach-bush.html
>>>
>>> http://www.archive.org/details/PoliceSurveilanceWiretapTape139
>>>
>>> http://archive.org/details/Part1WiretapTape143
>>>
>>> FEDERAL EXPRES February 7, 2006
>>> Senator Arlen Specter
>>> United States Senate
>>> Committee on the Judiciary
>>> 224 Dirksen Senate Office Building
>>> Washington, DC 20510
>>>
>>> Dear Mr. Specter:
>>>
>>> I have been asked to forward the enclosed tapes to you from a man
>>> named, David Amos, a Canadian citizen, in connection with the matters
>>> raised in the attached letter.
>>>
>>> Mr. Amos has represented to me that these are illegal FBI wire tap
>>> tapes.
>>>
>>> I believe Mr. Amos has been in contact with you about this previously.
>>>
>>> Very truly yours,
>>> Barry A. Bachrach
>>> Direct telephone: (508) 926-3403
>>> Direct facsimile: (508) 929-3003
>>> Email: bbachrach@bowditch.com
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "David Amos" david.raymond.amos@gmail.com
>>> To: "Rob Talach" rtalach@ledroitbeckett.com
>>> Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 10:59 PM
>>> Subject: Re: Attn Robert Talach and I should talk ASAP about my suing
>>> the Catholic Church Trust that Bastarache knows why
>>>
>>> The date stamp on about page 134 of this old file of mine should mean
>>> a lot to you
>>>
>>> http://www.checktheevidence.com/pdf/2619437-CROSS-BORDER-txt-.pdf
>>>
>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>> From: David Amos motomaniac333@gmail.com
>>> Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:37:08 -0400
>>> Subject: To Hell with the KILLER COP Gilles Moreau What say you NOW
>>> Bernadine Chapman??
>>> To: Gilles.Moreau@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, phil.giles@statcan.ca,
>>> maritme_malaise@yahoo.ca, Jennifer.Nixon@ps-sp.gc.ca,
>>> bartman.heidi@psic-ispc.gc.ca, Yves.J.Marineau@rcmp-grc.gc.ca,
>>> david.paradiso@erc-cee.gc.ca, desaulniea@smtp.gc.ca,
>>> denise.brennan@tbs-sct.gc.ca, anne.murtha@vac-acc.gc.ca,
>>> webo@xplornet.com, julie.dickson@osfi-bsif.gc.ca,
>>> rod.giles@osfi-bsif.gc.ca, flaherty.j@parl.gc.ca, toewsv1@parl.gc.ca,
>>> Nycole.Turmel@parl.gc.ca,Clemet1@parl.gc.ca, maritime_malaise@yahoo.ca,
>>> >> oig@sec.gov, whistleblower@finra.org, whistle@fsa.gov.uk,
>>> david@fairwhistleblower.ca
>>> Cc: j.kroes@interpol.int, david.raymond.amos@gmail.com,
>>> bernadine.chapman@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, justin.trudeau.a1@parl.gc.ca,
>>> Juanita.Peddle@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, oldmaison@yahoo.com,
>>> Wayne.Lang@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, Robert.Trevors@gnb.ca,
>>> ian.fahie@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>
>>>
>>> http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/nb/news-nouvelles/media-medias-eng.htm
>>>
>>> http://nb.rcmpvet.ca/Newsletters/VetsReview/nlnov06.pdf
>>>
>>> From: Gilles Moreau Gilles.Moreau@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
>>> Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2012 08:03:22 -0500
>>> Subject: Re: Lets ee if the really nasty Newfy Lawyer Danny Boy
>>> Millions will explain this email to you or your boss Vic Toews EH
>>> Constable Peddle???
>>> To: David Amos motomaniac333@gmail.com
>>>
>>> Please cease and desist from using my name in your emails.
>>>
>>> Gilles Moreau, Chief Superintendent, CHRP and ACC
>>> Director General
>>> HR Transformation
>>> 73 Leikin Drive, M5-2-502
>>> Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R2
>>>
>>> Tel 613-843-6039
>>> Cel 613-818-6947
>>>
>>> Gilles Moreau, surintendant principal, CRHA et ACC
>>> Directeur général de la Transformation des ressources humaines
>>> 73 Leikin, pièce M5-2-502
>>> Ottawa, ON K1A 0R2
>>>
>>> tél 613-843-6039
>>> cel 613-818-6947
>>> gilles.moreau@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
>>>
>

http://www.amanb-aamnb.ca/Board-of-Directors

2020-2021 Board of Directors

President:	Steven Hart Chief Administrattive Office / Clerk Town of Oromocto	4 Doyle Drive Oromocto, NB E2V 2V3 Telephone: 357-4441 Fax: 357-2266
Past-President:	Shelley Morton Assistant City Clerk/Council Recorder City of Moncton	655 Main Street Moncton, NB E1C 1E8 Telephone: 856-4341 Fax: 856-4225
Vice-President:	Gilles Belleau Chief Administrative Officer / Clerk Town of Shediac	290 Main Street, Unit 300 Shediac, NB E4P 2E3 Telephone: 531-2227 Fax: 5326156
Treasurer:	John Morrisey Chief Administrative Officer Rural Community of Saint-André	492 de l'Église Road Saint-André, NB E3Y 2Y6 Telephone: 473-7580 Fax: 473-7585
Secretary:	Annette Crummey Director of Corporate Services / Town Clerk Town of Riverview	30 Honour House Court Riverview, NB E1B 3Y9 Telephone: 387-2136 Fax: 387-2033
Regional Directors:
Region 1	Chantal Dubé Assistant City Clerk City of Edmundston	7 Canada Road Edmundston, NB E3V 1T7 Telephone: 737-6708 Fax: 737-6758
Region 2	Sarah Pacey Chief Administrative Officer Town of Florenceville-Bristol	19 Station Road Florenceville-Bristol, NB E7L 3J8 Telephone:392-6763 x208 Fax: 392-5211
Region 3 - Acting	Cynthia Geldart Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk Village of New Maryland	584 New Maryland Highway New Maryland, NB E3C 1K1 Telephone: 451-8508 Fax: 450-1605
Region 4	Catherine P. Snow Town Clerk Town of Quispamsis	P.O. Box 21085, 12 Landing Court Quispamsis, NB E2E 4Z4 Telephone: 849-5738 Fax: 849-5799
Region 5	Annette Crummey Director of Corporate Services / Town Clerk Town of Riverview	30 Honour House Court Riverview, NB E1B 3Y9 Telephone: 387-2136 Fax: 387-2033
Region 6	Mary Savage Director of Human Resources City of Miramichi	141 Henry Street Miramichi, NB E1V 2N5 Telephone: 623-2204 Fax: 623-2434
Region 7	Dave Cowan Chief Administrative Officer Village of Bas-Caraquet	8185 At-Paul Street Bas-Caraquet, NB E1W 6C4 Telephone: 726-2776 Fax: 726-2770
Region 8	Nicole LeBrun Chief Administrative Officer Village of Atholville	247 Notre Dame Street Atholville, NB E3N 4T1 Telephone: 789-2944 Fax: 789-2925
Region 9	Yves M. Leger Chief Administrative Officer / Clerk Rural Community of Beaubassin-est	P.O. Box 2002, 1709 Route 133 Beaubassin-est, NB E4P 8V1 Telephone: 532-0730 Fax: 532-0735

Barbara A. Quigley, Education Committee Chair
Clerk / Director of Legislature Support, City of Moncton
655 Main Street
Moncton, NB E1C 1E8
Telephone: 853-3333
Fax: 859-4225

Ex-Officio Members:

Jennifer Thompson, Advisor, Local and Regional Governance, Department of Environment and Local Government
P.O. 6000
Fredericton, NB E3B 5H1
Telephone: 444-2735
Fax: 457-4933

Frédérick Dion, Executive Director, Association francophone des municipalités du N.-B.
702, rue Principale, bureau 322
Petit-Rocher (NB) E8J 1V1
Téléphone: 542-2622
Télécopieur: 542-2618

Charline McCoy, Executive Director, Cities of New Brunswick Association
P.O. Box 1421, Station A
Fredericton, NB E3B 5E3
Telephone: 452-9292
Fax: 452-9898

Margot Cragg, Executive Director, Union of Municipalities of NB
302-259 Brunswick Street
Fredericton, NB E3B 1G8
Telephone: 476-5641

Paul Lang, Executive Director, Kent Regional Service Commission
Representative of the RSC Executive Directors
104 Irving Boulevard, Unit 1
Bouctouche, NB E4S 3L5
Telephone: 743-1490
Fax: 743-1491

Danielle Charron, Executive Director, Association of Municipal Administrators of New Brunswick
20 Courtney Street
Douglas, NB E3G 8A1
Telephone: 453-4229

RSC Members / Associate Members

RSC Members

Regional Service Commissions

Northwest Regional Service Commission (RSC1)
Marie-Ève Castonguay, Acting Executive Director
36 Court Street, suite 102
Edmundston, New Brunswick
E3V 1S3
Telephone: 506-735-2126
Fax: 506-735-2670
E-mail: info@csrno.ca
www.csrno.ca

Restigouche Regional Service Commission (RSC2)
Betty-Ann (Mercier) Fortin, Executive Director
68A Water Street,
Campbellton, New Brunswick
E3N 1B1
Telephone: 506-759-6688
E-mail: info@commission2.ca

Chaleur Regional Service Commission (RSC3)
Jocelyne Hachey, Executive Director
582 Principale Street
Petit-Rocher, New Brunswick
E8J 1V1
Telephone: 506-542-2688
E-mail: jocelyne.hachey@CSRChaleurRSC.ca

Acadian Peninsula Regional Service Commission (RSC4)
Mélanie Thibodeau, Executive Director
220 St-Pierre West Blvd, Unit 134
Caraquet, New Brunswick
E1W 1A5
Telephone: 506-727-7979
Fax: 506-727-7990
E-mail: melaniethibodeau@csrpa.ca
www.csrpa.ca

Greater Miramichi Regional Service Commission (RSC5)
Wilson W. Bell, Executive Director
Shawn Cripps, Chief Financial Officer & Manager of Special Projects
1773 Water Street, 2nd floor
Miramichi, New Brunswick
E1N 1B2
Telephone: 506-778-5362
Fax: 506-778-5360
E-mail: wbell@rsc5.ca
www.gmrsc.ca

Kent Regional Service Commission (RSC6)
Paul Lang, Executive Director
104 Irving Blvd, suite 1
Bouctouche, New Brunswick
E4S 3L5
Telephone: 506-743-1490
E-mail: paul.lang@csrk.ca

Southeast Regional Service Commission (RSC7)
Gérard Belliveau, Executive Director
Stephanie Thorne, Chief Financial Officer
Sébastien Doiron, Director of Planning
1234 Main Street
2nd Floor, Unit 200
Moncton, New Brunswick
E1C 1H7
Telephone: 506-382-5386
Fax: 506-382-3651
E-mail: gerard.belliveau@nbse.ca

Regional Service Commission 8
Steve Roberts, Executive Director
Beverly Wilcox, Administration Coordinator
Amanda Kyle, Administration Officer
Mark Flewwelling, Director of Finance & Administration
2-27 Winter Street
Sussex, New Brunswick
E4E 2H9
Telephone: 506-432-7530
Fax: 506-432-7539
E-mail: info@rsc8.ca

Fundy Regional Service Commission (RSC9)
Marc MacLeod, Executive Director
10 Crane Mountain Road
Saint John, New Brunswick
E2M 7T8
Telephone: 506-738-2014
Fax: 506-642-5478
E-mail: info@frsc.ca

Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission (RSC10)
Hollis Bartlett, Executive Director
P.O. Box 70
St. Stephen, New Brunswick
E3L 2W9
Telephone: 506-466-7830
Fax: 506-466-7833
E-mail: hollis.bartlett@snbsc.ca

Regional Service Commission 11
Don Fitzgerald, Executive Director
860 Prospect Street
Fredericton, New Brunswick
E3B 2T8
Telephone: 506-453-2883
E-mail: dfitz@rsc11.ca

Western Valley Regional Service Commission (RSC12)
Katelyn McGrath, Executive Director/Planning Director
Frank Tenhave, Acting Executive Director
3143 Main Street, Unit #2
Centreville, New Brunswick
E7K 3E8
Telephone: 506-276-3610
Fax: 506-276-3576
E-mail: katelyn.mcgrath@rsc12.ca
www.rsc12.ca

Associate Members

Municipal Associations

Association francophone des municipalités du Nouveau-Brunswick
Frédérick Dion, Executive Director
702 Principale Street, suite 322
Petit-Rocher, New Brunswick
E8J 1V1
Telephone: 506-542-2622
Fax: 506-542-2618
E-mail: dg@afmnb.org

Cities of New Brunswick Association
Charline McCoy, Executive Director
P.O. Box 1421, Station A
Fredericton, New Brunswick
E3B 5E3
Telephone: 506-452-9292
Fax: 506-452-9898
E-mail: charline@8citiesnb.com

Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick
Margot Cragg, Executive Director
302-259 Brunswick Street
Fredericton, New Brunswick
E3B 1G8
Telephone: 506-476-5641
E-mail: umnb@nb.aibn.com

Government of New Brunswick

Department of Environment and Local Government

Ryan Donaghy, Assistant Deputy Minister, Local Government Division ryan.donaghy@gnb.ca
Lisa Harrity, Engagement Co-ordinator, NB 911 Bureau, Public Safety, Environment and Local Government lisa.harrity@gnb.ca
Jennifer Thompson, Acting Manager, Local and Regional Governance Branch jennifer.thompson@gnb.ca

Service New Brunswick

Patrick Jeune, Corporate Information Management Strategist, Provincial Archives patrick.jeune@snb.ca

Local Services Manager (LSM)

Denis Bujold, Manager Regions 5 and 3, Miramichi denis.bujold@gnb.ca

Commission

Greater Shediac Sewerage Commission
Stephanie Bernard, Office Manager
25 Cap-Brûlé Rd.
Boudreau-Ouest, New Brunswick
E4P 6H8
Telephone: 506-532-7025
Fax: 506-532-7041
E-mail: info@gssc-cesb.ca
http://www.gssc-cesb.ca

---------- Original message ----------
From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)" <Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca>
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2020 13:31:01 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: YO Higgy I sse that your buddies in the
Irving media ran with my tip about the EUB decision about "Not So
Smart" Meters EH?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

Thank you for taking the time to write to us.

Due to the high volume of emails that we receive daily, please note
that there may be a delay in our response. Thank you for your
understanding.

If you are looking for current information on Coronavirus, please
visit www.gnb.ca/coronavirus<http://www.gnb.ca/coronavirus>.

If this is a Media Request, please contact the Premier’s office at
(506) 453-2144.

Thank you.

Bonjour,

Nous vous remercions d’avoir pris le temps de nous écrire.

Tenant compte du volume élevé de courriels que nous recevons
quotidiennement, il se peut qu’il y ait un délai dans notre réponse.
Nous vous remercions de votre compréhension.

Si vous recherchez des informations à jour sur le coronavirus,
veuillez visiter
www.gnb.ca/coronavirus<http://www.gnb.ca/coronavirus>.

S’il s’agit d’une demande des médias, veuillez communiquer avec le
Cabinet du premier ministre au 506-453-2144.

Merci.

Office of the Premier/Cabinet du premier ministre
P.O Box/C. P. 6000
Fredericton, New-Brunswick/Nouveau-

Brunswick
E3B 5H1
Canada
Tel./Tel. : (506) 453-2144
Email/Courriel: premier@gnb.ca/premier.ministre@gnb.ca

Energy board approves $110-million 'smart meters'
project

David Gordon Koch | Times & Transcript

New Brunswick's energy regulator has approved the roughly $110-
million implementation of advanced metering infrastructure, also
called "smart meters."

The New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board's decision,
issued Friday, reviewed the costs and bene􀁽ts of the contentious
project.

"The Board finds that the short-term and long-term outcomes and the
demonstrated benefits to ratepayers outweigh the expected costs that
ratepayers will bear," the report said.

"Having considered all of the evidence and submissions in this matter,
the Board is satisfied that the AMI capital project is prudent and that it
is in the public interest."

A notice announcing the application from NB Power last year put the
cost at $92 million, but Friday's report said the present value cost is
$109.6 million.

Capital projects worth $50 million or more require EUB approval under
the Electricity Act.

Members of the board couldn't be reached for comment on Saturday.

The project would involve the replacement of some 360,000 commercial
and residential meters, beginning in the 2020-21 fiscal year, with a
deployment period lasting three years.

The EUB previously denied an application from NB Power in 2018,
saying that "no positive business case was established," but it le􀁿 the
door open to a future application.

In March, a new application was delayed when NB Power reduced its
operations to "mission critical" functions because of COVID-19. The
business case involves a 17-year period of analysis, including the
deployment period and the 15-year "economic life" of the technology.
NB Power's fleet of meters is currently 28 per cent analog and 72 per
cent "automated meter reading" meters, meaning workers must collect
data by observing the meter directly or driving by the area.

So-called smart meters currently provide 80 per cent of metering in
Canada, according to NB Power.

Navigant Consulting, a firm engaged by NB Power, found the project
would have benefits of $140.7 million and cost $109.6 million, providing
a "net present value" of $31.1 million. NB Power revised that amount
down to $28 million during the hearings.

"Quantifiable benefits" cited in the report include the elimination of
meter-reading jobs.

"NB Power estimates that, of 36 meter services employees, 10 will be
retained to manage service orders and troubleshoot noncommunicating
meters," the decision states.

It says that 19 contractors "would not be required" and another seven
meter support positions would be eliminated.

Those changes alone represent nearly $40 million, according to the
decision. NB Power also claimed that related meter reading services
were worth another $6.6 million in savings, a _gure accepted by the
board.

Much of the 35-page document involves scrutiny of the cost-benefit
analysis, including testimony from several consultants and
interveners.

NB Power engaged Philippe Dunsky, president of Dunsky Energy
Consulting, who said non-quantifiable benefits may include more
customer control and choice, reduced outage frequency and duration,
greenhouse gas emission reductions, better air quality and economic
development.

The province's public intervener for the energy sector, Heather Black,
tabled a review from Daymark Energy Advisors as evidence.

Daymark said the project's business case was "consistent with industry
experience" but also noted that "given NB Powerʼs historical internal
project cost overruns, it should use a 15 per cent contingency for all of
the capital costs for which contracts have not yet been signed."
With an increase in the contingency factor for variable capital costs
from 10 per cent to 15 per cent, overall costs increase to $110.8 million.

EUB staff engaged Synapse Energy Economics, which raised concerns –
including potential cost overruns - but concluded that "under plausible
conditions, the project would result in benefits to ratepayers."

Roger Richard, who opposes the project for health reasons, engaged
Didier Tatoutchoup, a professor of economics at l'Université de
Moncton, who recommended against the approval.

Tatoutchoup said the benefits are insufficient and hadn't passed the
"profitability test," calling the business case "very weak."

Richard raised health concerns about radio frequency radiation, but the
EUB said radiation from the meters is lower than Health Canada limits
and there is "no basis" to reject that standard.

The EUB didn't solicit public comments, but received 10 opposed to the
project and 15 supporting it, two of them on the condition that workers
aren't adversely affected and that privacy is protected, respectively.

The board also directed NB Power to propose "a set of metrics or
progress indicators to track the project" to ensure the costs and bene􀁽ts
of the project are transparent.

---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2020 10:30:56 -0300
Subject: YO Higgy I sse that your buddies in the Irving media ran with
my tip about the EUB decision about "Not So Smart" Meters EH?
To: "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, dale.morgan@rcmp-grc.gc.ca,
"Mark.Blakely" <Mark.Blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, "Roger.Brown"
<Roger.Brown@fredericton.ca>, "martin.gaudet"
<martin.gaudet@fredericton.ca>, "Brenda.Lucki"
<Brenda.Lucki@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, "barbara.massey"
<barbara.massey@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, "barb.whitenect"
<barb.whitenect@gnb.ca>, "Robert. Jones" <Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>,
"Holland, Mike (LEG)" <mike.holland@gnb.ca>, lclark@nbpower.com,
colleen.dentremont@atlanticaenergy.org, "Bill.Morneau"
<Bill.Morneau@canada.ca>, premier <premier@ontario.ca>, Office of the
Premier <scott.moe@gov.sk.ca>, premier <premier@gov.ab.ca>, wharrison
<wharrison@nbpower.com>, gthomas <gthomas@nbpower.com>,
Andrea.AndersonMason@gnb.ca, jesse <jesse@viafoura.com>, news
<news@dailygleaner.com>, nben@nben.ca, premier <premier@gnb.ca>,
"dominic.leblanc.c1" <dominic.leblanc.c1@parl.gc.ca>, "Dominic.Cardy"
<Dominic.Cardy@gnb.ca>, "jeff.carr" <jeff.carr@gnb.ca>,
oldmaison@yahoo.com, andre <andre@jafaust.com>,
"Ginette.PetitpasTaylor" <Ginette.PetitpasTaylor@parl.gc.ca>,
"Sherry.Wilson" <Sherry.Wilson@gnb.ca>, "Ross.Wetmore"
<Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>, megan.mitton@gnb.ca, "David.Coon"
<David.Coon@gnb.ca>, "Arseneau, Kevin (LEG)"
<Kevin.A.Arseneau@gnb.ca>, Newsroom <Newsroom@globeandmail.com>,
Nathalie Sturgeon <sturgeon.nathalie@brunswicknews.com>, "mary.wilson"
<mary.wilson@gnb.ca>, "steve.murphy" <steve.murphy@ctv.ca>,
"nick.brown" <nick.brown@gnb.ca>, "robert.mckee"
<robert.mckee@gnb.ca>, "Kevin.Vickers" <Kevin.Vickers@gnb.ca>,
"Tim.RICHARDSON" <Tim.RICHARDSON@gnb.ca>, "Trevor.Holder"
<Trevor.Holder@gnb.ca>, "rick.desaulniers" <rick.desaulniers@gnb.ca>,
"michelle.conroy" <michelle.conroy@gnb.ca>, "Mike.Comeau"
<Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>, "carl. davies" <carl.davies@gnb.ca>,
"carl.urquhart" <carl.urquhart@gnb.ca>, "Cathy.Rogers"
<Cathy.Rogers@gnb.ca>, "robert.gauvin" <robert.gauvin@gnb.ca>,
"Roger.L.Melanson" <roger.l.melanson@gnb.ca>, "ron.tremblay2"
<ron.tremblay2@gmail.com>, philippe@dunsky.com,
Steven_Reid3@carleton.ca, "darrow.macintyre"
<darrow.macintyre@cbc.ca>, "Chuck.Thompson" <Chuck.Thompson@cbc.ca>,
"sylvie.gadoury" <sylvie.gadoury@radio-canada.ca>,
jefferson@ufoparty.ca, cfta@eastlink.ca, votemaxime@gmail.com,
heather.collins.panb@gmail.com, lglemieux@rogers.com, nobyrne@unb.ca,
.andre@jafaust.com, Jacques.Poitras@cbc.ca, mckeen.randy@gmail.com,
atlanticnews@ctv.ca, gregory.craig@skadden.com,
Patrick.Fitzgerald@skadden.com, ed.pilkington@guardian.co.uk,
ron.klain@revolution.com, Jason.Hoyt@gnb.ca, news
<news@hilltimes.com>, "andrea.anderson-mason"
<andrea.anderson-mason@gnb.ca>, claude.poirier@snb.ca, "Katie.Telford"
<Katie.Telford@pmo-cpm.gc.ca>, "Jody.Wilson-Raybould"
<Jody.Wilson-Raybould@parl.gc.ca>, "David.Lametti"
<David.Lametti@parl.gc.ca>, "Jane.Philpott"
<Jane.Philpott@parl.gc.ca>, "hugh.flemming" <hugh.flemming@gnb.ca>,
tolson@gibsondunn.com, bginsberg@pattonboggs.com,
mark.vespucci@ci.irs.gov, pm@pm.gc.ca, Office@tigta.treas.gov,
Juanita.Peddle@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, police@fredericton.ca,
Frank.McKenna@td.com, Kevin.leahy@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, terry.seguin@cbc.ca
Cc: Charles.Murray@gnb.ca, aip-aivp@gnb.ca, mark@huddle.today,
perry.brad@radioabl.ca, motomaniac333@gmail.com

https://tj.news/story/101353354?ref=fb&fbclid=IwAR1Q4F4wVpdp3oga3zVFKAMtYjsuCiBGfSXssWrGqWNS84tzVVcBQkgjL2w

No doubt Mr Jones of CBC is waiting until Tuesday to report about the
NB Power rate hikes after the EUB hearing about that. Methinks folks
take more notice of rate hikes during an election N'esy Pas?

Deja Vu Anyone?

https://huddle.today/take-two-nb-power-seeks-approval-for-smart-meters/

Take Two: NB Power Seeks Approval For Smart Meters
Jan 13, 2020
by Brad Perry
https://www.facebook.com/BradPerryNews/about/
(Brad Perry is the news director with Country 94/97.3 The Wave, a
Huddle content partner.)

SAINT JOHN – NB Power is trying once again to have smart meters rolled
out to its customers across the province.

An eight-day hearing began Monday in front of the Energy and Utilities
Board in Saint John.

It is the second time NB Power has sought approval for smart meters,
also known as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI).

The EUB denied the previous application in 2018, saying it was “not in
the public interest” and the utility failed to make a “positive
business case.”

But Lori Clark, the senior vice-president of operations, said they
have made improvements this time around.

“We took the feedback we received from this board during the AMI
hearing in 2018 and we worked with a number of industry experts to
explore potential savings and costs that we had not previously
considered,” said Clark during opening comments Monday.

In its filing with the board, the utility said the $92-million project
would produce net benefits of $31.1 million over 15 years.

Clark said there is no “do nothing” option and outlined three main
drivers behind the utility’s proposal, including the rapid evolution
of technology.

“We don’t want to be left behind, and more importantly, we don’t want
our customers to be left behind,” she said, noting they expect the
manufacturer of the meters they currently use will be phased out over
time.

An eight-day hearing began on Jan. 13, to consider NB Power’s business
case for smart meters. Image: Brad Perry/CHSJ News.

Utilities have been deploying smart meters for more than a decade and,
according to Natural Resources Canada, they now account for more than
80 per cent of electricity metering in Canada.

Clark said customers would see many benefits to having the “modern and
proven” technology.

“Once the smart meters and the surrounding communications network are
installed and activated in an area, customers will have access to
their energy usage information,” she said.

The utility is also studying a “high-bill alert” service to let
customers know by email or text when their usage is trending higher
than they might expect.

Officials said it would be similar to what cell phone companies do to
let customers know when they have reached their data limit.

Clark said their proposal is built mainly on quantified benefits, but
there are also many non-quantified benefits, which include knowing
immediately when a customer’s power is out.

Another benefit, she said, is time-varying rates to shift power
consumption away from peak demand.

“Time-varying rates are not part of this application and the utility
currently has no plan to implement time-varying rates at this time,”
said Clark.

If the smart meters are approved, the utility said customers would be
able to opt-out. The projected cost for those customers would be about
$4 per month based on an estimated two per cent of people opting out

Brad Perry is the news director for CHSJ/Country 94, a Huddle content partner.

Huddle is a Maritime business publication that tells the stories of
the creative, innovative, and interesting entrepreneurs working in the
Maritimes. We have journalists in Halifax, Saint John, Moncton and
Fredericton who report on the issues and events that help or hinder
their ability to create wealth and employment.

Huddle has a broad definition of entrepreneurship, knowing that it
exists in many sectors, including but not limited to IT, energy,
agriculture, tourism, food and beverage, health and culture. We are a
news site, and a gathering place for people with ambition who, through
their companies and communities, want to help build stronger
economies. That includes owners and operators of businesses, people
who work for them, and people invested in the success of local
companies and communties.

At Huddle, our philosophy is simple: we believe that business is good.

Business creates jobs, opportunities and wealth, things we need more
of here in our part of Canada. Business is creative, powerful and a
force for positive social change.

We’re passionate about the entrepreneurs making a difference in our
region. Too often business in the Maritimes is viewed with suspicion
or even resentment. That’s holding us back, so we want to help change
that mindset.

So please join us on this journey. Let us know what you think about
Huddle on Twitter or Facebook – we’d love your feedback.

James Chisholm
Director of Sales
Email

Mark Leger
Editor

On 9/4/20, David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com> wrote:
> https://www.facebook.com

/roger.richard.148?comment_id=Y29tbWVudDozMzk5MjcyNDY2Nzc4MzE1XzM0MDkwNTYyNTkxMzMyNjk%3D
>
> Roger Richard
> ·
> The New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board (NBEUB) will probably
> render its decision concerning smart meters today. Here is my final
> address to the Commission concerning Matter #452:
>
> September 2, 2020
> Mr. Vice-Chairman,
> I have good reason to believe that the commission has decided to
> endorse the AMI (smart meters). In this final intervention, I would
> like to repeat that the infrastructure we currently have is adequate
> to measure the electricity that is used by New Brunswick’s families.
> Currently, electricity is measured at a single fixed rate. The Matter
> that will study the future rate designs has not yet started. So we
> don't know what form the future tariffs will take. You have to
> remember that the rates that vary according to the time of day are the
> only reason AMI is essential. In all other situations, the
> infrastructure we currently have is sufficient to meet our needs.
> I imagine the advent of the AMI as a tsunami that is slowly but
> inexorably sweeping around the earth.
> Mr. Vice-Chairman, from my readings and interviews, I am afraid that
> outside agents have infiltrated or unduly influenced our
> decision-making system. At the risk of appearing alarmist, it is
> conceivable that our government or our commissions or our companies or
> our interveners were subjected to an outside influence to accept this
> technology. For example, we just have to think of the Americans who
> are directors on the board of NB Power. And what about the Siemens
> employees who share the premises with our employees? These double
> agents have even infiltrated our environmentalists! Against any
> opposition, whether financial or environmental, the approval of the
> AMI therefore became pre-approved and this commission was only an
> exercise in public relations!
> Mr. Vice-Chairman, in addition to the incredible expenditure of 109
> million in this difficult period for New Brunswick, we will ignore the
> harmful effects of this technology on the most fragile people in our
> society: These people that Dr. Plante calls an insignificant subgroup!
> This insignificant subgroup are pregnant women, children, people
> weakened by disease and the elderly. It is inconceivable that in 2020
> we are not responsible for our decisions: what has become of our
> conscience? Is it replaced by money and jobs? The various messages
> from Mr. Amos suddenly become much clearer.
> Dear Commissioners and all of us participating in these various
> Matters, let us take the time to think before making a decision. Let’s
> choose life, not money and jobs. Let us not repeat the disappointing
> situations at Site C in British Columbia and Muskrat Falls in
> Newfoundland and Labrador.
> I see the day when the government will find enough reasons to sell NB
> Power to the Americans like it happened a few years ago in Nova
> Scotia.
> In conclusion, I would like to congratulate Ms. Desmond on her new
> position as commissioner representing Atlantic Canada and Nunavut to
> the CRTC. It is important that she has heard all of my arguments about
> smart meter’s EMF/RF and that she knows that these arguments also
> apply to 5G (fifth generation) and 6G (sixth generation)
> telecommunications.
> Mr. Vice-Chairman, in addition to my letters of March 23, August 7 and
> August 21, this concludes my intervention for instance #452.
> Thank you.
> Roger Richard.
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)" <Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca>
> Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2020 21:22:54 +0000
> Subject: Automatic reply: YO Chucky Murrray: Methinks you and your
> buddy Higgy should cry me a river about the loss of your fellow crook
> N'esy Pas?
> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
>
> Thank you for taking the time to write to us.
>
> Due to the high volume of emails that we receive daily, please note
> that there may be a delay in our response. Thank you for your
> understanding.
>
> If you are looking for current information on Coronavirus, please
> visit www.gnb.ca/coronavirus<http://www.gnb.ca/coronavirus>.
>
> If this is a Media Request, please contact the Premier’s office at
> (506) 453-2144.
>
> Thank you.
>
>
> Bonjour,
>
> Nous vous remercions d’avoir pris le temps de nous écrire.
>
> Tenant compte du volume élevé de courriels que nous recevons
> quotidiennement, il se peut qu’il y ait un délai dans notre réponse.
> Nous vous remercions de votre compréhension.
>
> Si vous recherchez des informations à jour sur le coronavirus,
> veuillez visiter
> www.gnb.ca/coronavirus<http://www.gnb.ca/coronavirus>.
>
> S’il s’agit d’une demande des médias, veuillez communiquer avec le
> Cabinet du premier ministre au 506-453-2144.
>
> Merci.
>
>
> Office of the Premier/Cabinet du premier ministre
> P.O Box/C. P. 6000
> Fredericton, New-Brunswick/Nouveau-Brunswick
> E3B 5H1
> Canada
> Tel./Tel. : (506) 453-2144
> Email/Courriel: premier@gnb.ca/premier.ministre@gnb.ca
>
>
>
> On 9/4/20, David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: "Murray, Charles (OIC/BCI)" <Charles.Murray@gnb.ca>
>> Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2020 20:41:39 +0000
>> Subject: Re: Methinks Mr Jones of CBC should report that Mikey Holland
>> got what he wanted about "Not So Smart" Meters from the EUB N'esy Pas?
>> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
>>
>> Mr. Amos,
>>
>> I noticed today that you are still including Tim Richardson in your
>> distribution list.
>>
>> You may be unaware of Mr. Richardson's recent passing:
>>
>> http://obituaries.telegraphjournal.com/book-of-memories/4319346/Richardson-Timothy/obituary.php
>>
>>
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: "MinFinance / FinanceMin (FIN)"
>> <fin.minfinance-financemin.fin@canada.ca>
>> Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2020 18:22:48 +0000
>> Subject: RE: Methinks Mr Jones of CBC should report that Mikey Holland
>> got what he wanted about "Not So Smart" Meters from the EUB N'esy Pas?
>> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
>>
>> The Department of Finance acknowledges receipt of your electronic
>> correspondence. Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your
>> comments.
>> Due to the evolving COVID-19 situation, we apologize in advance for
>> any delay in responding to your enquiry. In the meantime, information
>> on Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan is available on the
>> Government of Canada website at
>> www.canada.ca/coronavirus<http://www.canada.ca/coronavirus> or by
>> calling 1-800 O Canada (1-800-622-6232) or 1-833-784-4397.
>>
>> Le ministère des Finances Canada accuse réception de votre courriel.
>> Nous vous assurons que vos commentaires sont les bienvenus.
>> En raison de la fluidité de la crise de la COVID-19, il est possible
>> que nous retardions à vous répondre et nous nous en excusons.
>> Entre-temps, les informations au sujet du Plan d'intervention
>> économique du Canada pour répondre à la COVID-19 sont disponibles dans
>> le site Web du gouvernement du Canada au
>> www.canada.ca/coronavirus<http://www.canada.ca/coronavirus> ou en
>> composant le
>> 1-800 O Canada (1-800-622-6232) ou le 1-833-784-4397.
>>
>> On 9/4/20, David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>> From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)" <Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca>
>>> Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2020 16:05:52 +0000
>>> Subject: Automatic reply: RE "Save NB Now" Too Too Funny
>>> To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
>>>
>>> Thank you for taking the time to write to us.
>>>
>>> Due to the high volume of emails that we receive daily, please note
>>> that there may be a delay in our response. Thank you for your
>>> understanding.
>>>
>>> If you are looking for current information on Coronavirus, please
>>> visit www.gnb.ca/coronavirus<http://www.gnb.ca/coronavirus>.
>>>
>>> If this is a Media Request, please contact the Premier’s office at
>>> (506) 453-2144.
>>>
>>> Thank you.
>>>
>>>
>>> Bonjour,
>>>
>>> Nous vous remercions d’avoir pris le temps de nous écrire.
>>>
>>> Tenant compte du volume élevé de courriels que nous recevons
>>> quotidiennement, il se peut qu’il y ait un délai dans notre réponse.
>>> Nous vous remercions de votre compréhension.
>>>
>>> Si vous recherchez des informations à jour sur le coronavirus,
>>> veuillez visiter
>>> www.gnb.ca/coronavirus<http://www.gnb.ca/coronavirus>.
>>>
>>> S’il s’agit d’une demande des médias, veuillez communiquer avec le
>>> Cabinet du premier ministre au 506-453-2144.
>>>
>>> Merci.
>>>
>>>
>>> Office of the Premier/Cabinet du premier ministre
>>> P.O Box/C. P. 6000
>>> Fredericton, New-Brunswick/Nouveau-Brunswick
>>> E3B 5H1
>>> Canada
>>> Tel./Tel. : (506) 453-2144
>>> Email/Courriel: premier@gnb.ca/premier.ministre@gnb.ca
>>>
>>>
>>> ----------Original message ----------
>>> From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
>>> Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2020 06:05:33 -0300
>>> Subject: YO Higgy Methinks Mr Jones of CBC should report that Mikey
>>> Holland expects from the EUB by Friday N'esy Pas?
>>> To: "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, dale.morgan@rcmp-grc.gc.ca,
>>> "Mark.Blakely" <Mark.Blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, "Roger.Brown"
>>> <Roger.Brown@fredericton.ca>, "martin.gaudet"
>>> <martin.gaudet@fredericton.ca>, "Brenda.Lucki"
>>> <Brenda.Lucki@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, "barbara.massey"
>>> <barbara.massey@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, "barb.whitenect"
>>> <barb.whitenect@gnb.ca>, "Robert. Jones" <Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>,
>>> "Holland, Mike (LEG)" <mike.holland@gnb.ca>, lclark@nbpower.com,
>>> colleen.dentremont@atlanticaenergy.org, "Bill.Morneau"
>>> <Bill.Morneau@canada.ca>, premier <premier@ontario.ca>, Office of the
>>> Premier <scott.moe@gov.sk.ca>, premier <premier@gov.ab.ca>, wharrison
>>> <wharrison@nbpower.com>, gthomas <gthomas@nbpower.com>,
>>> Andrea.AndersonMason@gnb.ca, jesse <jesse@viafoura.com>, news
>>> <news@dailygleaner.com>, nben@nben.ca, premier <premier@gnb.ca>,
>>> "dominic.leblanc.c1" <dominic.leblanc.c1@parl.gc.ca>, "Dominic.Cardy"
>>> <Dominic.Cardy@gnb.ca>, "jeff.carr" <jeff.carr@gnb.ca>,
>>> oldmaison@yahoo.com, andre <andre@jafaust.com>,
>>> "Ginette.PetitpasTaylor" <Ginette.PetitpasTaylor@parl.gc.ca>,
>>> "Sherry.Wilson" <Sherry.Wilson@gnb.ca>, "Ross.Wetmore"
>>> <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>, megan.mitton@gnb.ca, "David.Coon"
>>> <David.Coon@gnb.ca>, "Arseneau, Kevin (LEG)"
>>> <Kevin.A.Arseneau@gnb.ca>, Newsroom <Newsroom@globeandmail.com>,
>>> Nathalie Sturgeon <sturgeon.nathalie@brunswicknews.com>, "mary.wilson"
>>> <mary.wilson@gnb.ca>, "steve.murphy" <steve.murphy@ctv.ca>,
>>> "nick.brown" <nick.brown@gnb.ca>, "robert.mckee"
>>> <robert.mckee@gnb.ca>, "Kevin.Vickers" <Kevin.Vickers@gnb.ca>,
>>> "Tim.RICHARDSON" <Tim.RICHARDSON@gnb.ca>, "Trevor.Holder"
>>> <Trevor.Holder@gnb.ca>, "rick.desaulniers" <rick.desaulniers@gnb.ca>,
>>> "michelle.conroy" <michelle.conroy@gnb.ca>, "Mike.Comeau"
>>> <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>, "carl. davies" <carl.davies@gnb.ca>,
>>> "carl.urquhart" <carl.urquhart@gnb.ca>, "Cathy.Rogers"
>>> <Cathy.Rogers@gnb.ca>, "robert.gauvin" <robert.gauvin@gnb.ca>,
>>> "Roger.L.Melanson" <roger.l.melanson@gnb.ca>, "ron.tremblay2"
>>> <ron.tremblay2@gmail.com>, philippe@dunsky.com,
>>> Steven_Reid3@carleton.ca, "darrow.macintyre"
>>> <darrow.macintyre@cbc.ca>, "Chuck.Thompson" <Chuck.Thompson@cbc.ca>,
>>> "sylvie.gadoury" <sylvie.gadoury@radio-canada.ca>
>>> Cc: david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com, Charles.Murray@gnb.ca,
>>> aip-aivp@gnb.ca
>>>
>>> Thursday, 3 September 2020
>>> NB Power rate-hike holiday not an election gimmick, PCs insist
>>>
>>> https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies
>>>
>>>
>>> David Raymond Amos‏ @DavidRayAmos
>>> Replying to @alllibertynews and 49 others
>>> Content disabled
>>> Methinks Mr Jones should report that Mikey Holland expects the
>>> decision he wants from the EUB about NB Power going forward with their
>>> "Not So Smart" Meter plans by Friday N'esy Pas?
>>>
>>>
>>> #nbpoli #cdnpoli
>>>
>>>
>>> https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-power-rate-increase-election-1.5708540
>>>
>>
>

mark@huddle.today

506 654 0393

https://huddle.today/gaetan-thomas-new-ceo-of-n-b-francophone-business-network/

Gaëtan Thomas New CEO Of N.B. Francophone Business Network

Jun 24, 2020

by Huddle Staff

Gaëtan Thomas. Image: Submitted

MONCTON – The board of Conseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswick (CÉNB) has named Gaëtan Thomas its new CEO, effective July 6.

He succeeds Thomas Raffy, who stepped down as CEO on April 24. CENB President Marie Chamberland was filling in as interim CEO.

“I chose to get involved with the CÉNB because I believe in our province’s possibilities and in our francophone business community. I was always an ally of the CÉNB and I am happy to now closely collaborate on its many projects,” said Thomas in a release.

“I am looking forward to meeting the network’s members when circumstances allow and to help francophone businesses start a new turn in this decisive time. The pandemic brought a lot of new challenges for our province and we need to work together to contribute to the rise of our communities.”

Thomas had been the CEO of NB Power for a decade before deciding to step down by May 2020. The utility named Keith Cronkhite as his successor in March.

Thomas’ career at NB Power started in 1982 after he graduated with an engineering degree from the University of New Brunswick. Before becoming CEO, he held various positions in operations, engineering, project design and commissioning, as well as senior and executive management.

As CEO, he restructured NB Power to become an integrated utility that resulted in a leaner, more efficient organization. Under his leadership, NB Power also launched a partnership with Siemens to develop a made-in-New Brunswick smart grid and refurbished Point Lepreau’s Nuclear Generating Station.

Now at the helm of CÉNB, he’ll lead the provincial network of approximately 800 Francophone businesses and entrepreneurs. The organization serves as their voices, including to promote their role and value in economic development in the province and to celebrate their contributions.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors and CÉNB’s members, I am very happy to rely on Gaëtan Thomas’s vast experience that will be particularly important for our network in this decisive period at the economic level for our province. Our new CEO has a strong desire to make a difference in his province and he will mobilize our members and our partners around concrete initiatives that will propel the economy of our province,” said Chamberland in the release.

“We are very proud of this nomination and we are happy to rely on him for strong leadership to take the helm with conviction and determination.”

https://cenb.com/fr/334-gaetan-thomas-nomme-president-directeur-general-du-cenb

Gaëtan Thomas nommé Président-directeur général du CÉNB

24 juin 2020

Moncton, le 24 juin 2020 – Le conseil d’administration du Conseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswick inc. (CÉNB) est fier d’annoncer la nomination de Gaëtan Thomas au poste de président directeur général du réseau d’entreprises francophones. M. Thomas succède ainsi à Thomas Raffy et il entrera en fonction dès le 6 juillet prochain.

Citation de la présidente du CÉNB, Marie Chamberland : « Au nom du conseil d’administration et des membres du CÉNB, je suis très heureuse de compter sur la vaste expérience de Gaëtan Thomas, ce qui s’avèrera particulièrement important pour notre réseau en cette période décisive au niveau économique pour notre province. Notre nouveau PDG possède un grand désir de faire une différence pour sa province et il mobilisera nos membres et nos partenaires autour d’initiatives concrètes pour propulser l’économie de notre province. Nous sommes très fiers de cette nomination et nous sommes heureux de pouvoir compter sur lui pour assurer un solide leadership pour prendre le relais avec conviction et détermination. »

Gaëtan Thomas est un chef de file chevronné avec une feuille de route plus qu’impressionnante. Ce mobilisateur a connu une longue carrière chez Énergie Nouveau-Brunswick qui a débuté en 1982 après l’obtention de son baccalauréat en génie électrique à la University of New Brunswick. Au fil des années, il y a occupé divers postes dans les domaines des opérations, du génie, de la conception et mise en application de projets dans les secteurs de génération, nucléaire, transmission et distribution, ainsi que le service à la clientèle des unités d’affaires/corporations.

Au cours des dix dernières années, il a dirigé le principal service public d’électricité de la province et, comme PDG, il a restructuré Énergie NB pour devenir un service public intégré afin d’alléger l’organisation et en améliorer son efficacité. Sous sa direction, le service public a établi un partenariat avec Siemens pour développer un réseau intelligent conçu au Nouveau-Brunswick. Une autre de ses réalisations notables est la remise à neuf de la centrale nucléaire de Pointe-Lepreau.

Citation du nouveau président-directeur général du CÉNB, Gaëtan Thomas : « J’ai choisi de m’impliquer dans le CÉNB puisque je crois aux possibilités de notre province et de sa communauté d’affaires francophone. J’ai toujours été un allié du CÉNB et je suis content de maintenant collaborer de près à ses nombreux projets. J’ai hâte de rencontrer les membres du réseau quand les circonstances nous le permettront et de pouvoir aider les entreprises francophones à entamer un nouveau virage en cette période décisive. La pandémie a apporté tout un lot de nouveaux défis pour notre province et nous devons œuvrer ensemble pour contribuer à l’essor de nos communautés. »

À propos du CÉNB

Le Conseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswick est un réseau provincial d’entreprises et d’entrepreneurs et qui a pour vision de propulser l’économie de la province en valorisant la francophonie économique pour le Nouveau-Brunswick.

– 30 –

Renseignements et entrevues :

Jo-Annie Ouellette, Responsable des opérations

Conseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswick inc.

Téléphone : (506) 869-9929

Courriel : joannie@cenb.com

Twitter : @cenb1979

Gaëtan Thomas Président-directeur général
Téléphone : (506) 857-3143
Courriel : gaetan@cenb.com

Anne-Marie Devost

Contrôleuse financière
Téléphone : (506) 869-9930
anne.marie@cenb.com

Jo-Annie Ouellette

Responsable des opérations
Téléphone : (506) 869-9929
joannie@cenb.com

Kim Landry

Responsable membership et marketing
Téléphone : (506) 869-9923
kim@cenb.com

Conseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswick Inc.
236, rue Saint-George, bureau 314
Moncton N.-B. E1C 1W1

Téléphone : (506) 857-3143
Sans frais : 1-800-561-4446

I would lays odds that this blog is published by Fake Left Politcal Scientists employed by our universities in NB who support the NDP but obviously do not have the balls to say who they are N'esy Pas?

https://politiconb.wordpress.com/2015/09/12/fundy-royal-tory-stronghold/

Fundy Royal; Tory Stronghold

If you’re a gambler and looking for a safe bet in New Brunswick, look no further than old faithful Fundy Royal. With the exception of the Great Tory Massacre of 1993, the riding has been all different shades of blue as far back as the First World War. Even a consolidated left wing vote for a single challenger would likely not overthrow incumbent Rob Moore.

Rob Moore enters the race like a prize fighter against a pack untested ring rookies. Moore has been the member of parliament for Fundy Royal since 2004. He has won his last two victories with more than 50% of the vote, making him one of the few true majority winners for the Conservative Party east of the praries. Despite his undisputed success at the polls, his leader, Stephen Harper has never rewarded Moore with a really great cabinet post. He has had a couple minister of state posts, and served as a parliamentary secretary to a real Minister. Interestingly, Moore was born in Newfoundland, and spent the first half of his life in the United States before returning to Canada. This is interesting because the CPC slogans which railed against Michael Ignatieff (He didn’t come back for you) in the 2011 election proved so popular in the riding.

The Liberals hope to repeat the unexpected success of the 1993 election, when Paul Zed won the riding, with Alaina Lockhart. Lockhart is an accomplished businessperson and entrepreneur. She has also served as a municipal councillor for Norton and because of this, desires to work toward bringing all levels of government to work better together. However, it will be a difficult, if not totally impossible battle. The Liberals have come in third here in 2011 and 2008. In fact, previous Liberal candidate Linda Wilhelm only managed to attain 10% of the vote in 2011.

The New Democrats are currently polling a distant second in the riding. If you were a strategic voter and wanted an “anything but Conservative” result, the NDP would be your safest bet. At the time of this posting, the NDP are 8 points behind Rob Moore according to Eric Grenier of the CBC. Repping the NDP is Jennifer McKenzie; engineer, former school board chair, and champion of ethnic minorities. She may enjoy second place, but it is still going to be an uphill battle. In a riding that has never elected a New Democrat, and only flirted with voting outside the CPC once, McKenzie will have to work tirelessly.

And here begins the sideshow:

Greens are running Stephanie Coburn again. Coburn ran in 2011, only to come in last place with less than 5% of the vote. Coburn also ran in the 2010 and 2014 provincial elections. But this year the Greens are polling as high as 8% in Fundy Royal, so there is some degree of progress.

Pirate Party candidate James Wilson is making a play for Fundy Royal. The Pirates want to loosen copyright law, and incumbent Moore sat on the legislative committee which updated Canada’s copyright laws.

One of the few ridings to have an independent, Fundy Royal gives us David Raymond Amos. A bearded busybody, he posted a series of rejection letters to his twitter that he received from various Canadian and American authorities for concerns, requests, and complaints. His blog includes confidential emails he received from CBC after threatening legal action against them.His specific political aims are, at this point, unclear.

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged Barack Obama, David Raymond Amos, Fundy Royal, Hilary Clinton, James Wilson, Jennifer McKenzie, Linda Wilhelm, Michael Ignatieff, Rob Moore, Stephanie Coburn, Stephen Harper

https://politiconb.wordpress.com/

Off To The Races

After nearly a month of assuring and reassuring his electorate, Premier Blaine Higgs has called for an election for September 14th. Despite going back on his word, it may prove to be a smart move on the part of the former Irving man. Should the New Brunswick electorate reflect poll findings south of the border; left leaning votes are less likely to risk the transmission of Covid 19 by going out to vote than their right leaning counterparts.

It has been a very difficult four years for the embattled premier. He narrowly held on to his minority government by working in lockstep with the far-right fringe People’s Party of New Brunswick. Higgs has had difficulty passing legislation through the legislature and has seen several big ticket bills defeated and drew the ire of large swaths of the populace.

Higgs’ Progressive Conservatives raised much controversy when they announced a decision to close several emergency rooms in rural areas between certain times in a cost saving effort. The attempted cuts were seen by many as a partisan decision as Liberal ridings were targeted. In February, just a month before the global outbreak of Covid 19, Higgs back out at the last moment due to “good conscience”.

In June, Higgs announced that his party would no longer be moving forward with their controversial power grab with Bill 49. The bill would have increased the power of government and police during the Covid crisis despite the relative low numbers of the virus in the province and the seeming lack of necessity for such powers.

Almost immediately after the government ceased their power grab, the government was defeated on another highly controversial bill which would have seen mandatory vaccinations. Liberals and Progressive Conservatives enjoyed a free vote and saw members from both parties vote in favour of and against Bill 11. The Bill was the brainchild of former New Democrat leader and current PC Minister of Education Dominic Cardy.

Despite all of Higgs’ many failings and controversies; his party remains in the best standing among the four parties represented in the legislature. Kevin Vickers, leader of the Liberals has had difficulty in gaining popularity and improving the party standing left behind by Brian Gallant. Kris Austin and the PANB has not been able to gain much traction beyond his fringe supporter base. David Coon’s Green Party popularity is in doubt over repeated abstentions. The New Democrats are certainly in the worst shape of any New Brunswick party with no representation in the legislature.

Posted in Uncategorized

Saint John East 2018

Saint John East was an exciting place in the last electoral year. Gary Keating and the Liberal Party squeaked out a victory and a steal from the Progressive Conservatives by only 9 votes! Then, unexpectedly, almost immediately after winning the tightest race in the province, Keating resigned. A by-election was called and the PCs took the riding back.

PC incumbent Glen Savoie is reoffering. He won with a confident majority in the by-election. Savoie was part of the Alward government but was not given a cabinet post. He does currently serve as a critic and deputy house leader. His most notable actions in office are asking cabinet ministers to resign and his outrage over the government’s $600 social media video touting the province’s achievements; which he saw as Liberal propaganda despite the ads making no mention of the Liberals.

Liberals are running Clare Manzer, an administrative assistant and lifelong volunteer.

New Democrats are offering Alex White, a university graduate with a political science degree who has worked several service level jobs.

Greens bring forth Lynaya Astephen, a university graduate with a degree in travel and tourism. She runs on a government transparency platform.

People’s Alliance have an interesting, if not problematic, candidate. Pastor and failed mayoral candidate Matthew Thompson who is now more a businessman than minister. You can still find his mayoral platform online in which he made big promises to improve infrastructure, restore city services, grow business, all this and more without increasing taxes. Many of the promises made were outside the purview of a mayor’s power.

Sadly, Saint John East is the antithesis of Saint John Harbour. Where the SJH is a powerful swing riding which forces all parties to put forward the best and brightest; SJE is seen as a Tory safeguard in which nobody puts any strong candidates- even the Tories themselves.

Posted in Uncategorized

Saint John Harbour 2018

It may be THE swing riding of the province. It has been red, blue, and even orange. It was Elizabeth Weir’s riding when she served as NDP leader. In the past two elections, the riding was won by fewer than 100 votes. Even the NDP ran tight races, coming in as a very close third to either the Liberals or the Progressive Conservatives. It’s anyone’s race to win. As such, all the parties are putting in a strong effort in this always-exciting riding.

The Liberals are running superstar city councilor Gerry Lowe. Gerry is incredibly popular in the city and is notable for playing a part in the city’s growth and revitalization. In recent years, Lowe has played an integral role in both destroying derelict buildings and building new assets to the city’s infrastructure; from the Saint John Field House, to splash pads, and barge terminals.

The New Democrats are running their leader, Jennifer McKenzie. McKenzie is running her party with a tight, concise, and rather brilliant platform (quite possibly the most brilliant platform the party has presented in twenty years). McKenzie’s plan for a $15 minimum wage would reinvigorate Saint John’s failing economy by infusing the consumer with stronger buying power. Add to that the NDP’s plan to institute an affordable daycare plan that would be based in the province’s schools (saving tens of thousands on infrastructure per annum), and working parents would also be strengthened without great cost to the province. Surely McKenzie will have the support of New Democrats right across the province in this crucial swing riding.

The PCs offered up retired teacher Barry Ogden. Ogden is known widely for his Marco Polo projects as well as his marigolds on Main Street project. Ogden has also worked on revitalization projects to save historical properties including Loyalist House and the Canada Games Stadium. Barry Ogden may find that his biggest challenge comes from the reputation he has built for himself; saving the city as opposed to those who live in it. In a riding where poverty is at critical levels, Ogden has chosen to conserve history rather than help people. Still, he has proven himself to have determination and drive. Should he refocus his efforts on people, he may become a strong champion for the people of Saint John Harbour.

Wayne Dryer is again the Green candidate. This is his third time running for Saint John Harbour, though the first time he ran was as a New Democrat. Wayne has been a part of the community for decades, having worked for the community with his church, as an employer, as social activist, and an advocate of environmental causes. Wayne is, just as the first three, a superstar candidate.

The most direct threat to Mr. Ogden’s political capital is Margot Brideau of the People’s Alliance. Mrs. Brideau’s private sector experience is in redevelopment of the city’s downtown corridor. As one half of Historica Developments, Brideau is self tasked with the revitalization of historical properties. However, this is where the similarities with Ogden end. Whereas Ogden seeks to save the historical components of the city for posterity, Brideau and her husband do it for personal financial gain. Brideau, who is either a native of Quispamsis or Halifax based on which autobiography you read, has revamped uptown warehouses into upscale lofts that many may find unaffordable in the poverty stricken city. She still has not been given a profile on the People’s Alliance official website.

Campbellton-Dalhousie

One of only two vacant seats, Cambellton-Dalhousie is a left leaning riding but by no means a guaranteed seat for the Gallant Liberals. Though the former seat holder, Donald Arseneault, won the riding by nearly 3000 votes in 2014; the nature of his departure may negatively affect the Liberal Party in 2018.

Campbellton-Dalhousie is a newer riding made up of two former ridings which did swing from red to blue and back to red again. That may give some hope to Tory voters in the riding who saw the 2014 landslide with great dismay. The Liberal image may also be tarnished after Donald Arseneault accepted a position with Canada’s Building Trade Unions while attempting to hold his position as an MLA. The integrity commissioner found Arseneault innocent and verified that no laws were broken, but the appearance of a conflict of interest is undeniable. Gallant gave Arseneault an ultimatum to keep the CBTU post or keep his seat in the legislature; Arseneault chose the CBTU.

Replacing Donald Arseneault on the Liberal ticket is former Liberal Member of Parliament, Guy Arseneault. Guy has nine years experience in Ottawa having served from 1988 to 1997. After retiring from federal politics, Guy was active in education and with the teachers’ union. Always championing better standards for education in New Brunswick, Guy may be able to bring luster back to the Liberal name after Donald’s departure.

The Progressive Conservatives offer no slouch in their candidate Diane Cyr. Cyr has served on Campbellton’s city council for ten years. She’s an avid volunteer and festival coordinator. Realistically, in this riding, if anybody has a chance to beat the Liberals, it is Diane Cyr and the Progressive Conservatives.

The Green Party has selected an environmental faithful; Annie Theriault. A vocal opponent of New Brunswick’s failing environmental policies on social media, Theriault makes clear her disapproval of glyphosate herbicides, deforestation, and toxic dumping in her community of River Charlo. Her campaign has been off to a slow start, but she is surrounded by a passionate group of young environmentalists.

Therese Tremblay will represent the New Democrats in Cambellton-Dalhousie. Therese is a retired union and labour activist. She has worked with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Restigouche District Labour Council (RDLC).

Peoples Alliance have offered former small business owner and retiree Robert Boudreau. Boudreau has travelled across Canada and lived in several Canadian cities before returning home to New Brunswick. PANB didn’t offer in this riding in 2014; their presence this year may hurt Diane Cyr’s chances of building stronger numbers for the PC.

Too Close to Call in Moncton South

The very definition of a back and forth riding; Moncton South is a fickle jurisdiction. The riding itself has changed and been altered several times in recent memory. Regardless of geography, the riding now known as Moncton South has gone from blue to red, back to blue, and returned to red with each election year.

Finance Minister Cathy Rogers is the current MLA for Moncton South. Typically, New Brunswick electors favour sitting cabinet members and the finance portfolio is an especially hot one. Rogers has the recent announcement of a budget surplus also working in her favour.

Rogers’ primary opponent is Moira Murphy of the Progressive Conservatives. Murphy is a family law layer and marathon runner, but will she place first in her race with Rogers? Despite her legal background, Murphy doesn’t have the stockpile of volunteer credits that most politicians collect prior to running for office.

In Moncton South the People’s Alliance are fighting for the New Democrat’s piece of the leftist pie. PANB candidate Marilyn Riel is the Moncton Chapter President of the New Brunswick Common Front for Social Justice. Riel and New Democrat Amy Johnson are both pushing for better living conditions, poverty reduction, and an increase to the minimum wage. This raises an interesting conundrum as the PANB, which normally swings to the right, may also be swiping votes from the left.

The Green Party is running a younger candidate against the establishment. Laura Sanderson appears to have thrown her hat into the ring but has at this point made very little effort in campaigning. Sanderson may just be filling a position for the party but there is still time for her to put in a stronger effort.

Moncton South is one of New Brunswick’s only all-female-candidate ridings.

Hampton or Higgins’ Haven

The riding of Hampton as it exists today is the result of Tory design by the Alward government in 2013. It was designed, or gerrymandered, to be a Tory stronghold for the foreseeable future. Now, in 2018, Hampton is a safe haven for Progressive Conservative leader Blaine Higgs who is trailing in the polls behind Brian Gallant. Higgs spent a portion of today in Hampton with MLA Gary Crossman in a possible attempt to feed off Crossman’s popularity.

The 2014 race was an exciting one for Hampton. Former PC MLA Bev Harrison challenged incumbent PC MLA Gary Crossman as a New Democrat. This year will not be nearly as exciting, but should be a two horse race between Liberal and Progressive Conservative. Crossman is reoffering as expected and will face off with local lawyer Carley Parish. Parish and Crossman both have sterling records of volunteer efforts and serving the community. Crossman served on town council and Parish served on the town Chamber of Commerce. Both are large figures in the community, though Crossman does enjoy the gerrymander advantage.

The Greens are giving John Sabine a second chance. A retired Saint John Police Officer, Sabine also has a record of volunteer work and community experience. However, the Green Party with Sabine came in a distant fourth in 2014. Sabine has promised to donate half of his legislative income to charity if elected.

Rounding out the ticket are Layton Peck and Dana Hansen of the NDP and People’s Alliance respectively. The NDP did come in second in 2014 but that was largely due to the fact they ran a former Tory; Bev Harrison. In 2014 the PANB crawled across the finish line with a dismal fifth place performance and at this juncture there is no reason to expect any more of the PANB in Hampton this go around.

Albert 2018

A Progressive Conservative stronghold for nearly twenty years, Albert is unlikely to turn colour this year. When Wayne Steeves won the seat for the PC Party back in 1999 he did so with 1,500 votes to spare. Steeves held the seat until the 2014 election; when he stepped aside for fellow Tory Brian Keirstead to take the reins. Keirstead won the riding as handily as Steeves had before him. However, Keirstead will not be the candidate representing the Progressive Conservatives on the ballot.

The PC riding association delivered a surprise upset when they chose to nominate Mike Holland rather than their own incumbent. Holland is a party insider and gave no reasons for his challenge other than a compulsion to run.

Surprisingly, rather than offering a lame duck candidate, the Liberals put forth a serious contender in Catherine Black. Black holds degrees in Economics, Commerce, and Business Administration. She served on Moncton’s Chamber of Commerce and currently works for the New Brunswick Community College. It would appear that despite the difficult campaign ahead, the Liberals are serious about winning back Albert.

If the Liberals came to compete, the other parties did not. People’s Alliance have sent Sharon Buchanan of the Anglophone Rights Association. In other ridings across Southern New Brunswick a Anglo-activist might do well in firing up the fringe right, but in a riding like Albert where such a large component of electors are Francophone, Buchanan will likely crash early. The Greens fair only slightly better with a candidate who has flown under the radar. Immigrant and pig farmer Moranda van Geest will represent the Green Party in Albert.

Of the third parties in Albert, the New Democrats actually present the best alternative vote with Betty Weir. Clear, concise, and specific on issues, Weir has an unwavering and understandable set of goals for Albert and New Brunswick. Affordable daycare, a $15 minimum wage, and ending privatization are among Weir’s goals.

Miramichi Bay-Neguac

The Liberals currently hold Miramichi Bay-Neguac and typically win the riding with ballots to spare. MLA Lisa Harris won the seat back from the Progressive Conservatives in 2014 by more than 700 votes; a significant victory for such a small populace. Harris, the Minister for Seniors and Long Term Care is a key member of the Gallant cabinet given the median age of New Brunswickers. Were Harris to lose her seat next month it would be a devastating upset to the Liberal Party.

Challenging Harris on behalf of the Progressive Conservatives is Debi Tozer. Tozer works for a small business and has no political experience or history. Her key issues have not been stated. It is likely that she is simply a lame duck candidate for her party. Especially given the knowledge that the People’s Alliance are working hard at chipping into the hard-right vote in the region; directly taking away from PC support. Even the loss of a hundred PC votes would be a crippling blow to the Tozer campaign.

The People’s Alliance almost had a star candidate in Terry Collette. Collette certainly has gone out of his way to secure the fringe alt-right vote. Holding a certificate in holistic medicine, Collette has posted several unfounded conspiracy theories on social media including: ISIS is controlled by Israel, life on Mars, and the standard September 11th theories espoused by the radical right. PC Leader Blain Higgs has demanded PANB explain their stance on these issues, which forced Kris Austin to distance himself from Collette.

The Greens offer James Denny of the Natoaganeg First Nation. Denny has some political experience within Natoaganeg, however this is his first foray into provincial politics. The Natoaganeg Nation has a significant population for the region and could double or even triple the Green vote from 2014 if Denny is able to galvanize his electorate. This would still not be enough to take the seat away from Harris, but would be a dramatic step for the Green Party.

The New Democrat in the contest is truck driver Willie Robichaud. Robichaud, like his counterpart in the Miramichi riding, has stated the need for a $15 minimum wage in New Brunswick. In 2014, the NDP came in third and as such it will be an uphill battle for Robichaud. However, this is near the area that overwhelming sent Yvon Godin to Ottawa. If Robichaud is able to tap into Godin’s popularity and influence, he may enjoy a bump in support.

Miramichi 2018

Miramichi is likely to be less of a race and more of a coronation for incumbent Bill Fraser. In 2014, Fraser won by more than 1200 votes and has since performed with distinction as a Liberal Cabinet member. His own personal popularity is higher than that of the government and he remains free of much of his government’s baggage. In addition to Fraser’s popularity and performance, the other parties contending for his office have put forward unknown candidates.

The Progressive Conservatives have chosen failed Miramichi Mayoral candidate Peggy McLean. McLean is an avid volunteer and sits on many boards in her community, but after serving as a city councilor for a single term, electors chose not to give her the promotion to mayor. She came in third place, falling 3100 votes short of victory.

The Green Party has put forward Louann Savage; a retired teacher. Of all the candidates in Miramichi, Savage is the one to have put forward the most comprehensive personal platform. Her political passions center on crown lands, healthcare, ending privatization, and community decision making. Savage aims to improve health standards in Miramichi, and New Brunswick, by improving environmental protections and increasing the number of nurses.

Douglas Mullin of the New Democrats has also put forward a few point on a personal platform. He aims to increase the minimum wage to $15; a goal set by the federal NDP a few years ago. Most economists in Canada have suggested that $15 is the base livable wage in Canada. Mullin also suggests that tuition rates in New Brunswick must be lowered. Tuition in New Brunswick is the fourth highest in the country, higher than Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Rounding out Mullin’s platform is the importance of improving transportation in rural New Brunswick.

The People’s Alliance put forward Michelle Conroy. Conroy has repeated the party cry for change but has remained unclear about exactly what change she would like to see. An administrative worker for the Miramichi Regional Health Authority, Conroy is the first PANB candidate to run the still new riding of Miramichi. In 2014, the inaugural race for the new riding, the PANB put forward no candidate to contend.

In 2014 Miramichi was a two way race between Liberal and Progressive Conservative. In fact, an independent candidate scored higher than the Greens and New Democrats.

Drop The Writ

The 2018 provincial election is now officially underway. At the writ drop, only one party has secured an official candidate in each riding; the Liberal Party. The Progressive Conservatives have a candidate in all but two ridings; Restigouche West and Kent North. The Greens, New Democrats, and People’s Alliance seem to be having some trouble fielding prospects.

According to the polls, the Liberal Party of New Brunswick is in a comfortable lead with Blaine Higg’s Progressive Conservatives in a distant second. One cause for the weakened PC Party, as the polls suggest, is the rise of the populist People’s Alliance who have climbed to 6.6 percent. Kris Austin has chipped away at the PC’s hold on the right wing with his rhetoric on divisive issues such as duality, bilingualism, and taxation.

According to the CBC, the Green Party has successfully raised more funds than the New Democrats and People’s alliance for the two years leading into the election. Their poll numbers are on par with the NDP, and just ahead of the PANB. Whether or not Green Party leader David Coon is able to translate that into an increase in seats is yet unseen. But it is safe to say that the Greens are the third party to watch, ahead of the NDP and PANB.

The Liberals may have every reason to feel secure going into this election. Even before the surprise surplus announcement, the Liberals hold a 10 to 20 point lead depending on which pollster you follow. Add to that, Higgs’ inability to rile up his base and we enter an election where celebrative Liberals are racing to the polls and unenthused Tories are staying home. Could this be the end of New Brunswick’s single term premiers?

Ridings to watch include Fredericton West-Hanwell (where former NDP leader Dominic Cardy is now running for the PCs), Fredericton South (where incumbent David Coon hopes to retain his seat after the upset in 2014), the hotly contested Saint John Harbour where four parties are all running star candidates, and Carleton-Victoria which was a very narrow race in 2014.

Already the race has drama. Radio-Canada has decided to cancel the French Leaders’ Debate as Blaine Higgs is unable to debate in French. Radio-Canada gave Higgs the opportunity to sub in a French speaking candidate but Brian Gallant stated he would only debate with Higgs. Higgs has attacked Kris Austin on his lack of leadership in dealing with PANB candidates who have been caught sharing and posting racist, homophobic, and misogynist posts on social media.

Kris Austin’s Inaction Plan

What became blatantly obvious in the election of 2014 was that the People’s Alliance had no cohesiveness as a party. PANB candidates in neighboring ridings, even those in the same cities, had wildly differing ideas on what the party platform meant. Was it simply a matter of misinterpretations of the party platform? When every member of a party has a different interpretation of the party platform, what is the point of a platform?

Compounding the issue of platform interpretations was the party’s stance on free votes. Some in the populist circle see PANB’s promise to use the party whip as infrequently as possible in a positive light. What it actually means is that nobody knows what a PANB government would actually do. If Austen kept his promise of allowing party members to vote whichever way they felt so inclined, he would be a weak leader and a terrible premier. If he broke that promise and forced members to vote along a party line; nobody knows exactly what that party line would entail as the platform has been so open to debate.

Austin has excelled in exactly one area as leader of his fifth-place party; speaking out both sides of his mouth to appease whichever audience he happens to be standing in front of at the time. Some might compare his oratorical skills to that of Bill Clinton. He’s folksy when he speaks to rural communities. He’s angry when speaking to impoverished areas. He’s soft and nostalgic when speaking to seniors. Overall, people find him very likeable despite not knowing where he actually stands on most key issues. In short, Austin is strong on speech while remaining painfully inactive on action.

There is no better example than Austin’s lack of response to the Stewart Manuel debacle. Manuel is a vocal candidate for Carleton who has posted a series of highly questionable memes and posts to social media that would almost certainly end the campaign of anyone running for a respectable party. No leader would allow such a shady candidate to go on carrying the party banner after a national news outlet caught this most heinous scent.

The Manuel problem reached a low-point when he posted a meme from Ontario comparing the Liberals of that province to the Nazi Party of Adolf Hitler. It was not clear as to whether Manuel even realized the meme was targeted at the Ontario Liberal Party or if he meant it to reflect how he felt about the Liberals of this province. This came after a series of memes attacking Liberals and Progressive Conservatives alike. Ironically, Manuel uses PC Leader Blaine Higgs’ past affiliation with the Confederation of Regions as an attack against Higgs’ leadership; despite the fact that PANB is using much of the same language and policy directions that CoR employed during its heyday. As expected of most PANB candidates, there is an unhealthy amount of posts vilifying the Francophones of New Brunswick or at the very least the government policies that enrich Francophone society.

A problem like Manuel should be an easy fix for Kris Austin especially given how hard Austin strives to be liked. But nearly a week has passed since Global News brought the story online across the country and still no action from the leader’s office. Manuel has apologized for the Nazi meme only and the party has remained stunningly silent. What could have been a brilliant moment for Austin to display his leadership skills has become a blight on his polished image. Certainly, the luster has diminished.

A leader that doesn’t enforce party policy does not have a party. It is as simple as that. The People’s Alliance is a collection of men and women who collectively smear purple on their campaign signs and stick close to Austin in the hopes of gaining some likeability of their own. However, they do not share a singular vision of New Brunswick nor do they guarantee to deliver a unified government if elected. Austin’s inaction at the grassroots level, even with a small group of volunteers and candidates, is a clear sign that he lacks the leadership skills necessary to run a province.

The Blame Game and the Gravy Train

Election day is still months away but the blame game is under way. New Brunswick politics is a never ending cycle of red and blue shaming. Realistically, both parties often mirror one another’s policies and actually behave very much the same when in power. But that doesn’t deter either faction from trying desperately to drive a wedge between New Brunswickers and potential voters by shifting blame upon each other and give the appearance of political difference.

This year has seen a particular vitriol from the major players. Is the extra venom a result of the new trend in NB politics; to dispose of a government after a single term? Or is this reflective of the American influence to make mud slinging personal? Premier Brian Gallant has attacked PCNB Leader Blaine Higgs over his affiliation with the Irving Corporation. Does Higgs’ 33 year Irving allegiance really put him in a questionable position were he to win the September election?

Higgs made the controversial decision in March to fire party Executive Director Stephen Smith to insert his friend Paul D’Astous. Since then, PCNB has been in full attack mode. Most notably, Higgs has assailed Gallant over allegations of Speaker Chris Collins committing harassment. The attacks cut deep in the age of the #Metoo movement and #Time’s Up, but it was not made clear of who or even the gender of the person allegedly harassed or the nature of the harassment. Many believe the attacks are purely politically motivated as Collins is a very popular politician who has served three terms and is a key factor in preventing the PCNB from a breakthrough in the Moncton area.

Transportation Minister Bill Fraser then volleyed that problems facing New Brunswick highways and bridges are the fault of former finance minister; Blaine Higgs. Road conditions are notoriously poor in New Brunswick with pot holes out numbering citizens in some areas. Conditions on Route 616 and the decision not to replace the Cherryvale Bridge are directly traced back to Higgs and the Alward Government, claims Fraser. Route 616 is in such a state of disrepair that shifting blame to Higgs is to put a major safety issue directly on the shoulders of the PC leader.

An attempt to overcome the attacks levied against him, Gallant has announced a mountain of new spending. The spending will most benefit the healthcare sector and also the Saint John region. The belief is that the influx of revenue the government will gain from the legalization and distribution of marijuana will make this spending boom possible. But Higgs has attacked the spending and ignored the possibility of a cash influx. Gallant has promised to spend $16 million to fill 25 current vacancies immediately.

Trouble for McKenzie

The New Democratic Party of New Brunswick is struggling to stay above water. Leader Jennifer McKenzie was acclaimed leader without opposition but not because there was no opposition to her being leader; but rather because nobody else wanted the job. Former leader Dominic Cardy carved up the party and left deep divisions and high debts.

The election campaign has not begun officially yet, but the other parties are hard at work nominating candidates across the province. Unsurprisingly, the nominations for Liberals and Progressive Conservatives are nearly full. The Green Party and People’s Alliance are also busy putting names to paper. The NDP however is lagging far behind with only 7 out of 49 nominations. The NDP is ahead of only Keep It Simple Solutions in terms of nominations.

Early polling for the party is not good either. The party polled lower in March than at the time of the previous election which saw them win no seats. They are still polling higher than the Greens, PANB, and KISS which might be their only silver lining. Those polls put the Liberal Party in a distant lead over McKenzie’s fledgling party.

McKenzie’s greatest hope of gaining any seat in the upcoming election was an obvious decision, one which Cardy lacked the foresight to consider. She decided to run in the one riding which actually sent a New Democrat to the legislature in recent years; Saint John Harbour. However, McKenzie’s trump card may be misplaced as Saint John Harbour is set to be one of the most hotly contested races in 2018. The Greens put forward stalwart Wayne Dryer. Also, popular former teacher Barry Ogden announced his intention to seek the nomination of the Progressive Conservative Party. The Liberals won the riding in 2014 by only 71 votes.

With no money, few candidates, and relatively zero news coverage, it would appear to be a very bad year for McKenzie to fight an election. It is crucial that the NDP reach out to potential voters this summer in a blitz of community barbeques and meet and greets. The riding associations need to formulate a plan to balance their books and appeal to favorable candidates before it’s too late. If McKenzie isn’t able to turn some numbers around, it could spell the end of the New Brunswick New Democrats.

Populism in New Brunswick

When you hear a politician use the term “common-sense” you should shudder and cringe. “Common-sense” is a simplified and often anti-intellectual approach to complex problems that do not have quick and easy solutions. Populism is on the rise globally and a good way to determine whether or not a politician or political party is populist is by counting how many times they use the term “common-sense”.

Why is populism bad? Most dictionary definitions will flatly point out that populism is inherently anti-intellectual, unorthodox, and limited by scope. Why is populism popular? It is meant to be a grass roots movement and for the people. But for which people?

Populism depends upon an “us vs them” mentality. Historically, in Canada, that meant a class struggle; haves vs have-nots. In more recent years it has taken an alt-right turn. In American politics populism is seen in movements championed by the Tea Party and Donald Trump; essentially white America versus Latino, Arab, and black America. In Canada we have seen populism in candidates like Kellie Leitch, Brad Trost, and Steven Blaney.

Sadly, New Brunswick has not been immune to the rise of populism. Many New Brunswickers find themselves resisting intellectualism and embracing identity politics. The existence of anglo-rights groups is a disturbing trend. Some Anglophones have publicly stated that they are “the most discriminated group in New Brunswick” while others have proclaimed they are “the most discriminated people in history”. The intellectual response would be to mention the holocaust, slavery, colonialism, or Russia’s murder of LBGT citizenry. But populists ignore the intellectual response and retort with baseless propaganda.

Returning to anti-intellectualism, it is natural for people to want to understand a political entity’s stratagem. Simplified solutions are not the answer. An example; taxes are too high in New Brunswick and people can not afford their homes. Too simple a fix would be to lower all property taxes. Why that does not work is that the provincial government can already not afford the basic guarantees for the province; healthcare, road clearing and repair, senior care, access to water, etc. It is far safer to have an intellectual solution to this problem that might not be as easy to comprehend than an easy fix that leads to a bigger problem.

The parties that appear to have embraced populism the most is Keep It Simple Solutions (KISS NB) and People’s Alliance (PANB). KISS NB blames bilingualism for students testing poorly on provincial exams; despite any scientific evidence and despite multilingual school districts around the globe having higher test scores than those in New Brunswick. People’s Alliance also place blame on duality for many of New Brunswick’s woes and favours integration.

KISS NB is having difficulty fielding candidates for the impending election, but PANB has already put many candidates forward. Caution should be urged whenever facing political parties who offer “quick-fix-common-sense-solutions” and are ready to put blame no any specific group of people for the dilemmas of society.

Deceit, Secrecy, and Division; Blaine Higgs in Power

New Brunswick in a unique province. A single, privately owned company controls much of the economy and all of the print media. It is the only officially bilingual province in Canada. These two factors are the cause of a great deal of tension in the province. On any given day you can hear New Brunswickers debate whether Irving is a savior or a curse, help or hindrance. You will almost certainly hear a debate on language rights.

Language debates are not new in New Brunswick. They go back, at least to the repatriation of the Canadian constitution. New Brunswick, with its considerable Acadien population, cemented language rights in law. As with any civil rights advancement throughout history, there was an immediate backlash. A federal political party emerged; the Confederation of Regions. CoR was a far right, populist, party of the West. As it spread East to New Brunswick, the party also became vehemently opposed to French language rights. While federally the party hoped to restructure the electoral system by forming regions with an equal amount of MPs (making the Western provinces a super-power come election time), the NB CoR sought to eliminate French language rights.

Current PC leader, Blaine Higgs was a part of the CoR. He even ran for leadership but failed in that venture. Since running for the leadership of the PC Party, he has downplayed his involvement with CoR. Higgs has said that the reason for leaving CoR was the rising anti-French sentiment but that’s impossible as it was a key policy from day one. Higgs won the leadership of the PC Party on the third ballot, with considerable dissension from his opponents who gave their support to other candidates as they were eliminated from the ballot.

CoR was once the official opposition in the legislature but has since shuttered its doors after infighting, and failing to elect or reelect MLAs. As Higgs supporters would point out, that was a long time ago. But since the closure of CoR, Higgs is still not bilingual. As Premier Alward’s minister of finance, Higgs practiced CoR fiscal restraint which actually slowed economic growth to half of what Premier Lord enjoyed in the early to mid-2000s.

In 2014, the Conference Board of Canada actually ranked New Brunswick as having one of the worst economies in the world. This came after four years of Higgs’ use of CoR economics; itself a recycled policy of Social Credit economic policy; favoring big business in the hope that trickle down will strengthen lower social classes.

It is possible that Higgs’ support of big business economics stems from his lifetime career at Irving Oil and then Canaport LNG. Higgs’ connection to big oil and position as finance minister also explains why the Alward government put such a strong focus on oil, gas, and mining as opposed to agriculture, retail, tourism, and small business.

Higgs is in a tough position when he goes to the polls next year asking both Acadiens and small business to swing their support his way. His opponent, a fluently bilingual Premier, who also owned and operated small businesses is still riding high in approval ratings.

Looking For A Leader

2016 saw the Progressive Conservatives of New Brunswick scour their ranks for a stand out leader who could combat Premier Brian Gallant in the 2018 provincial election. The October convention was billed to be a highly contested bout; the winner was anybody’s guess. The candidates included Mike Allen, Mel Norton, Blaine Higgs, and Monica Barley to name a few. The convention was every bit as exciting as the hype leading up to it. Security removed a Liberal cabinet member who came to observe the event. Loyalties shifted throughout the event. In the end, it was Blaine Higgs who came out on top.

Higgs represents the swing riding of Quispamsis; a riding he won from incumbent Liberal Mary Schryer in 2010. Schryer attempted to win back the riding in 2014, but Higgs again came out on top. Higgs was minister of finance under Premier Alward and has a strong following.

The New Democrats however find themselves in a more precarious situation. For years, New Democrat leader Dominic Cardy faced split support among New Democrats. He was seen by some as being too close-to-centre for what is (in theory) a socialist party. Among his supporters though was an avid faith and strong support. Yet, strong support from only half of a third party’s membership is not enough. Cardy resigned once in 2014 but the NDP council voted unanimously to reject that resignation. Cardy then overturned his decision to depart and limped forward as leader until December of 2016 when he announced he would again quit; effective January 1st.

In a daring move that shocked no one, Cardy announced his loyalty to newly minted Progressive Conservative leader Blaine Higgs. To say he crossed the floor would imply that he had a seat in the legislature, but after numerous attempts, he never did. So Cardy darted from one end of the political spectrum for the other and left the NDP in the hands of an interim leader.

Now, like the federal NDP and federal Conservatives, the provincial NDP search for a leader. But unlike the highly coveted PCNB leadership, the NBNDP leadership has been slow to draw any contesters. The federal NDP face the same problem as outgoing leader Tom Mulcair appears to have left the party in shambles. Interestingly, Mulcair faced the same allegation as Cardy of being too close-to-centre and allowed the Liberals to absorb the leftist vote. Less interesting is that Cardy was a Mulcair supporter leading up to Mulcair’s victory in 2012. But it wasn’t long before Cardy’s support fell flat; refusing to even attend the convention in 2016 to vote on whether Mulcair should stay on as leader. This despite the support given to Cardy during the 2014 provincial election and the support given to Cardy’s controversial stance on fracking in New Brunswick.

So clearly Higgs shouldn’t expect much from Cardy’s support. But the symbolism of the move gives Higgs some bragging rights at least.

More to come as the dust settles.

Justin’s Broken Promises

He rode in on the coattails of a father he could never live up to. He splashed onto the public scene with great hair, a warm smile, charisma not seen since Brian Mulroney, and a chariot full of sparkling promises meant to titillate and romance us. But like the great illusionists, Justin hid tricks up his sleeve and secrets behind every veil. But more than dashing good looks, warm words, and a coveted surname; Justin had a golden asset- he proceeded Stephen Harper.

Despite his obvious shortcomings as Liberal leader, and then as Prime Minister of Canada, the criticism of Justin hasn’t been all that critical. Most of his criticisms are followed by the snide comeback, “At least he’s better than Harper.” At first, in the early weeks of his term, that was a fair and true response. But as we limp into 2017, the list of broken campaign promises and shortcomings pile higher. Despite this, Justin still has higher approval ratings than Harper did at any point during his term in office.

So what are the broken promises and why should it matter to New Brunswick? Here’s a breakdown of just a few of Justin’s broken covenant:

The Military: According to Statistics Canada, just under 22% of Canada’s forces hail from Atlantic Canada and as such, the military is a major employer in New Brunswick. Given this information, how the military is treated should be of utmost importance in New Brunswick. Justin promised to maintain military spending and keep in pace with Harper’s planned increases- this was one of the first promises to go. Justin promised to pay veteran’s four year post-secondary tuition costs- that plan was quietly axed. In response to the public backlash that Harper received when he cut life-long disability pensions for veterans, Justin promised to reinstate those pensions if elected; but on this too he reneged. He promised to cancel Stephen Harper’s ill-planned purchase of F-35 fighter jets (the engines fail in cold arctic weather and this is Canada), but Justin stuck to Harper’s plan and is moving forward with the purchase which will put Canada into debt and pilots into jeopardy.

Aboriginal Peoples: New Brunswick has a beautiful community of First Nations people with a lush and rich history. Unfortunately, under 9 years of Harper rule, relations between the federal government and our First Nations have corroded. Justin promised to fix this broken bond and improve life for our first peoples. He guaranteed that First Nations would have a veto over natural resources in their territories, that he would invest an additional $50 million annually in post-secondary education for aboriginal peoples, and that he would immediately adopt the United Nations declaration of rights of Indigenous People. All of these promises too, were broken. Yet, Justin takes every photo opportunity he can with our First Nations. He talks the talk, but when given the chance, he chooses not to walk the walk.

LGBT: New Brunswick has a vibrant queer community. And as he does with First Nations, Justin loves to have photo ops with the LGBT community at parades and social events. Perhaps he taps from his father’s popularity with this segment of society as it was his father who decriminalized homosexuality and via the Charter of Rights and Freedoms paved the way for other gay rights (such as adoption and marriage). But Justin made only one promise to the queer community in his 2015 election campaign; to end the discriminatory practice of banning men who have sex with men from donating blood. This, an easy promise to keep, was also broken. Gay men are still treated as second class citizens. In fact, an article from the CBC revealed that since Justin took office, transgendered people are now also banned from donating; a discriminatory practice that didn’t exist under Harper.

Small Business and Youth Employment: Justin promised a tax break for small businesses from Harper’s 11% to a new Liberal rate of just 9%. As we saw in the 2016 budget, that was lie. But at least small businesses would have all the youth employment investment to rely on; such as the annual $40 million youth co-op plan. Nay, that was also a lie. Justin promised $775 million in investment for job training and skills development- another lie. Now, we find youth and small business hurting just as much (but no worse) than under Harper.

With all of the broken promises on spending (on the military, veterans, youth, Aboriginals, and small business) you would juxtapose that the Liberal government of Justin is in the black. We couldn’t possibly running deficits with the government clutching the purse strings so tightly. Wrong. Justin has sent Canada, and New Brunswick along with it, cascading into debt levels never before seen North of the border. This means less money for healthcare, national defense, tax breaks for families, and the arts.

That’s just a brief overview of some broken promises and betrayals by Prime Minister Justin. This doesn’t even touch on his policy to go forward with Harper’s secret police bill (Bill C-51), his inaction on the much criticised Fair Elections Act (Bill C-23), his total about face on electoral reform, his adoption of Harper’s environmental targets, his sloth-like slowness on legalization of marijuana, or his legalization of cash-for-access.

So can we really say that we are any better off than we were with Stephen Harper? When Justin adopts policies and targets set by his predecessor, while abandoning many of the principles which got him elected? We’ve all been duped by a very talented public relations man. But we can’t allow selfies to take precedence over safety or imagery to outweigh investment in our future. We are better off with Justin in only one regard; right now, everyone likes him. But when that luster starts to dim, and fuzzy speeches about equality start demanding action; we are going to find ourselves in a very bad place. New Brunswick can not afford Justin.

The Red Wave

As we watched the returns on October 19th, just days before Halloween, the only image that came to mind was the elevator doors opening in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Tories and New Democrats were washed away in a flood of crimson red ballots. Even in Acadie-Bathurst, widely believed to stand behind the NDP, was a landslide victory for the Liberals.

What happened? Did New Brunswick get caught up in Trudeaumania II? Or was our province quietly enraged with Stephen Harper more than the polls suggested? And what happened to Tom Mulcair who was riding so high in the polls when the election was called?

Acadie-Bathurst was supposed to be won by a bright, young, and attractive New Democrat by the name of Jason Godin. He was personable, friendly, and had the full backing of former NDP MP Yvon Godin. He is also the youngest mayor (Maisonnette) in the history of New Brunswick at 22 years old. Despite all this, Godin lost his election to Serge Cormier by nearly 5,800 votes!

In Beausejour, Dominic Leblanc won with 69%. The runner up was the NDP with 15%.

Fredericton was supposed to be a close race. It wasn’t. Liberal Matt DeCourcey slayed incumbent Keith Ashfield by nearly 10,000 votes. A bloodbath by any account.

Even Tory stronghold Fundy Royal went red. Alaina Lockhart narrowly ousted Rob Moore. One commentator joked, “In Fundy Royal, the Tories will rob no more”, a reference to the series of spending scandals which plagued the Conservatives over the past few years in office.

Madawaska-Restigouche saw Rene Arseneault (L) defeat second place contender Rosaire L’Italien (NDP) by 11,108 ballots. The Tory here came in third place.

Pat Finnigan (L) handily deafeated Tilly O’Neill-Gordon (C) in Miramichi-Grand Lake.

Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe cast 30,054 ballots for Liberal Ginette Petitpas Taylor. Conservative Robert Goguen barely won more than 11,000. A crippling blow to the Tories.

New Brunswick Southwest was a closer battle. But it was supposed to be an untouchable Tory stronghold as well. However, Liberal Karen Ludwig managed to beat John Williamson by 2,026 votes.

Wayne Long coasted to an easy victory over Rodney Weston in Saint John-Rothesay.

TJ Harvey won Tobique-Mactaquac for the Liberal Party.

What does this red wave say about New Brunswick? Certainly it proves that we are not the little conservative province that some would paint us to be. What does this mean for our Liberal Premier? Does this overwhelming show of support for the federal Liberals mean that some of the discontent for our provincial Liberals has been forgot? More analysis to come.

New Brunswick: Leftist Country

Most people tend to think of New Brunswick as a right leaning province. Most people would be wrong. The problem plaguing New Brunswick (and most of Canada) is that there is only one real option for right wing voters whereas the left have two to three equally viable options. So where the left, who make up more than half the electorate, have a splintered vote; the right usually take the lead with only 30%-45% of the voteshare.

Take Fredericton for example. In 2011 Keith Ashfield had his best returns with ALMOST half the vote. In 2008 he won only 42% support of the riding. In 2006 only 34.66% of the college town voted right wing. In fact, the last time Fredericton actually voted more than 48% in favour of the right was in the year 2000 (15 years ago) and they didn’t win because back then there were two right wing parties to vote for. In 2000 30% of the vote went to the Progressive Conservative Party and 21% went to the ultra conservative Reform Party.

Saint John-Rothesay is another prime example.Rodney Weston has never had 50% of the vote. In fact, Weston first won power with only 39% support. 61% of the riding found Weston unsupportable. The last time more than half the riding found a right wing candidate palatable was again in 2000. The riding was also overwhelmingly leftist throughtout the conservative 1980’s but sent Tories to Ottawa because the left split the vote over a whole myriad of leftist options.

Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe also suffered the vote split curse. One of the most leftist ridings in the province sent Conservative Robert Goguen to Ottawa with only 35% support. This is such a leftist riding that it has often sent Liberals to Ottawa with more than 50% of the vote and still giving considerable support to other leftist parties. It is a travesty that such a haven of progressive thinkers and voters would be represented by a radical right wing representative in the capitol.

Madawaska-Restigouche, also a left leaning riding, has been represented in Ottawa by a right winger since 2011 with less than half support. The riding was Liberal for ten years prior.

The former riding of Miramichi was Liberal for the majority of its history. Through mulitple redistrubutions and redrawings of the electoral map; Miramichi was Liberal from 1945 to 1984 and after a brief flirtation with Mulroney’s PCs turned red again from 1988 to 2008.

Beausejour was also a long time leftist riding. From original Trudeaumania in 1968, the riding was Liberal until 1997 when it decided to give the New Democrats a try. The New Democrat they elected, Angela Vautour crossed the floor and became a Progressive Conservative. Beasejour was incensed and at first chance elected a Liberal again. It has been Liberal ever since.

Acadie-Bathurst might be the most left leaning riding in the country. Since 1900, Acadie-Bathurst has only elected liberals and social demcrats with only two exceptions. Those exceptions proved short lived and easily forgotten.

It stands to reason that if New Brunswick used a preferential ballot or single transferable vote, it would no longer elect more than one conservative per election. A system where a candidate must have at least half the vote allows voters to select a first, second, third, fourth choice, etc. The electorate would not be guaranteed its first choice, but would not necessarily be stuck with its last choice either. For example, Green Voters could give their first choice to Elizabeth May. But should Greens have the fewest numbers in their riding, could then select a New Democrat, Liberal, independent, or whoever most reflects the policies of their first choice. Another benefit is that voters would never again have to vote “strategically”, always giving their top spot to the party that truly represents them.

Crunch Time

Only days seperate us from election day. Advance polls were a huge success with 3.6 million Canadians turning out to vote. British Columbia and Ontario led the pack for advance polls; interesting because many have speculated that it is those two provinces which will decide the winner on October 19th. Another general understanding is that the majority of advance voters come out early to vote against incumbent governments. That does not bode well for Mister Harper.

New Brunswick is split down the middle according to the latest polls. Five seats will go to Justin Trudeau, four to Stephen Harper, and Tom Mulcair will win one. Unlike the rest of the country, New Brunswick’s polls have remained fairly consistant. Still, New Brunswick has a few close races.

Fredericton is a much tighter race than some of the national broadcasters and pollsters are projecting. One poll conducting at ground level by a local candidate suggests the Conservative and Liberal parties in a dead heat. The New Democrats are in a distant third but the Green Party nipping very closely at the orange heels. If that internal poll is accurate, a handfull of NDP or Green faithful could give the election to either incumbent Keith Ashfield or Liberal challenger Matt DeCourcey. That is unless they decide to stick to their first pick and battle for third place.

Despite early success in the polls, the New Democrats have fallen apart in Saint John-Rothesay. Rodney Weston has made the come back of a lifetime and passed Wayne Long for first place. The margin of error puts Conservative Weston and Liberal Long in a close race. AJ Griffin of the NDP s still fighting to stay in the race but trails at a distant third. The Greens failed to garner even enough support to open a campaign office in Saint John-Rothesay.

Miramichi-Grand Lake is too close to call. Conservative incumbent Tilly O’Neill Gordon leads by a fraction of a percentage point over Liberal Pat Finnigan. Fewer than a hundred voters may seperate the two on October 19th. Both candidates should reach out to extended family and make sure everyone at the family bbq comes out to vote. It may actually be that close!

Interestingly, there is one riding where the Conservative’s strongest opposition is not Trudeau’s Liberals. Strategic voters in Fundy Royal should look to Jennifer McKenzie of the New Democrats if they are unhappy with incumbent Rob Moore. The NDP are ahead of the Liberals by just more than the margin of error. The NDP platform does, at least in theory, better fit the make up of the Fundy Royal riding. Also, Jennifer McKenzie is arguably a stronger contender than Liberal Alaina Lockhart. It would take nearly the entire combined force of Liberal and NDP voters to send either of their candidates to Ottawa from Fundy Royal. The Green Party voters in Fundy Royal would also be wise to lend their support to McKenzie as they are so far behind in the polls that voting Green isn’t even making a statement. Also, the NDP are offering up its most green-friendly platform to date.

New Brunswick is poised to send more Conservatives to Ottawa than any other province on the East Coast.

Courting Carleton, Part Deux

David Alward left New Brunswick for Boston. The Federal Conservatives named Alward the Consul General back in April after his failed attempt to hold onto the reins of power in last year’s provincial election. Rather than staying on and serving his term as an MLA, Alward accepted the opportunity to flee Canada and return to his birthplace; Massachusettes. As such, the people of Carleton, who vested their trust in Alward, have been left without a representative in the legislature for months. Some of the blame for the empty seat falls on Premier Gallant who could have called the by-election earlier, but feared overlapping the by-election with the federal election.

Attempting to take over for the wayward Alward is Progressive Conservative Stewart Fairgrieve. Fairgrieve has a facebook page to campaign on but as yet is not being touted on the PCNB webpage. In fact, the PCNB webpage does not even make mention of the pending by-election or even have it listed on it’s calendar. Fairgrieve is a former news man who has worked on several newspapers across the province. Since leaving the news business, he has worked for the PCs in a series of administrative roles. Carleton is PC country, if they are not too jaded by Alward’s abandon. Fairgrieve will have to prove that, unlike his predecessor, he is there for the people of Carleton first.

Courtney Keenan is fighting a tough battle as the Liberal candidate at a time when the province is at odds with the Liberal government. Premier Gallant is every bit as unpopular as Alward was before him. Gallant is so unpopular that despite being a Liberal Premier, has not been asked to campaign on behalf of federal hopeful Justin Trudeau. As it is, Keenan will have to show support for Gallant’s flailing plans for the economy and job creation without being brought down for it. Carleton may elect Keenan to be part of the governing body again, or choose to remain in opposition.

The Greens offer Andrew Clark, again. He did not fare well last year, winning only 750 votes (10.5%). What Clark does have working in his favor is the immense popularity of his party leader. David Coon. If elected, Clark would become the second Green MLA in New Brunswick; building on the overall momentum of the Green movement. Prince Edward Island elected a Green MLA this year as well. With the slow rise in popularity of the Green movement coupled with the anger towards the provincial Liberals and Progressive Conservatives; Clark may stand a real chance. Carleton wouldn’t have to join the unpopular Liberal caucus, but would also have the benefit of not directly opposing the government either.

In 2014, the New Democrats’ returns in Carleton were lower than that of the Greens. Greg Crouse hopes to change that. He is Vice President of Unifor Local 2001. A real union man, Crouse represents NDP values to the core. In 2014 the NDP reached a higher level of support in the province than the Green Party but failed to elect a single New Democrat (an inherent fault within our electoral system). Crouse could be the NDP voice within the legislature that New Brunswick asked for but did not receive.

People’s Alliance Deputy Leader Randall Leavitt is also vying for the seat left vaccant by Alward’s departure. Leavitt has a background in the school system working with special needs students, before leaving education for business management and sales. In 2014 the PANB came in last place in Carleton with less than 3% of the vote.

Miramichi-Grand Lake

This could be a nail-biter on election night. This new riding is a close two-way race between the Conservatives and Liberals. The riding may have been gerrymandered to become a new Conservative bastion in New Brunswick, but the Tories are falling out of favour here. The riding is comprised of most of the old Miramichi riding, but absorbs parts of Fredericton, Beausejour, and Tobique-Mactaquac.

Incumbent Tilly O’Neill-Gordon represented the former riding of Miramichi before the redistribution. She was first elected to the House of Commons in 2008 and again in 2011. Outside of politics she was a teacher. At 66 years old, O’Neill-Gordon has never held a cabinet post, but did serve on the executive boards of several Progressive Conservative associations.

Pat Finnigan, the Liberal challenger, is currently leading narrowly. With a three point lead, Finnigan is in a statistical tie with O’Neill-Gordon. Finnigan comes from a business background; he was Chair of the Board of Directors Atlantic Association of Community Business Development Corporations (CBDC), he was also President of the Kent CBDC.

Miramichi-Grand Lake really is a two party race. New Democrat Patrick Colford is trailing 9 points behind O’Neil-Gordon. Even taking the three point margin of error into account, O’Neill-Gordon has a comfortable lead over the NDP. The Liberal Party has been on the upswing in the riding as the NDP have dipped and the Conservatives have stagnated. Trailing far behind at about 4.5 is the Green Party with Matthew Clark of Rothesay, who ran for the NB Greens in Moncton East last year.

Fundy Royal; Tory Stronghold

And here begins the sideshow:

Ever Evolving Saint John-Rothesay

It’s a threeway tie, again. Incumbent Rodney Weston is back in second place as Wayne Long surpasses AJ Griffin for first. However, with a three point margin of error, the parties are in a statistical tie at 32.2%(Lib), 31.4%(Con), and 30.8%(NDP). Weston is the only contender of the big three to not occupy the top spot since polling began months ago. During the height of (Justin)Trudeaumania Long had a comfortable lead. Then Justin’s popularity began to dip and Mulcair stole the spotlight, giving an (at the time) unnamed New Democrat a lead of 13 points over second place Weston. Then Weston fell to third.

Saint John-Rothesay, at this point, looks like it could be the most interesting of the New Brunswick ridings to watch on election night. Many of the other ridings in the province, save a couple, have pretty clear winners ahead. The only questions will be how many votes did they win by, and who came in second?

Getting to know the candidates in Saint John-Rothesay is important. Who are they? Where do they come from?

Rodney Weston, the Tory, is a New Brunswick Community College graduate who operated a gas station before getting into provincial politics in 1999. He served under Bernard Lord until 2003 when he lost re-election. He went on to win a seat in the House of Commons in 2008 where he has raised a few eyebrows with seemingly counter-intuitive votes on important bills. As a former volunteer firefighter, he actually voted against protections for volunteer firefighters (Bill C-504). Despite the tough-on-crime slogans of the Conservative Party, Weston voted against a bill that would have stymied the trade of blood diamonds from conflict zones (Bill C-486). Even after his own party was fingered in the robocall scandal, he voted against a bill that would have prevented further robocall scandals (Bill C-524), a missed opportunity for him as he could have distanced himself from the alleged corruption within his own party.

AJ Griffin, the New Democrat, works in the information technology field and gives her time to charitable causes including the Canadian Cancer Society, Kids Help Phone, and Habitat for Humanity. This isn’t her first time running for elected office. AJ ran for the provincial NDP in 2014 in the riding of Quispamsis where she came in third. Prior to her IT work and previous foray into politics, AJ grew up in the Millidgeville area of Saint John and owned a garden center on Somerset Street.

Wayne Long, the Liberal, was also born and raised in Saint John. You might already know him as president of the Saint John Seadogs. He has a long and interesting career story as contract negotiator, product manager, board member, and company president. In August of last year, Long tweeted that our city has fallen backwards over the past 20 years, and that we once had the same population as Halifax. What will Wayne do differently that our previous MPs either couldn’t or wouldn’t do over the past twenty years? He hasn’t really answered that yet, but we’re listening.

Sharon Murphy, the Green, has run for office several times before. 2010’s New Brunswick provncial election saw Sharon Murphy run for the Greens in the riding of Rothesay but lost by 3,000 votes. In 2011, Murphy ran against Rodney Weston and won 1,017 votes- to Weston’s 18,456. In 2014, Murphy ran for the riding of Saint John East and won 353 votes to Gary Keating’s 2,332. When Keating resigned just days later, Murphy ran again in the resulting by election. She lost the by election to Glen Savoie by 1,963 ballots. But her worst showing was in the 2012 by election for the riding of Rothesay; where she won only 69 votes of support.

Sharon Epic is running for the comical Marijuana Party. Why does this party even exist anymore when every other left wing party already wants to legalize or decriminalize marijuana? She is a “live painter” who sometimes enjoys wearing a fake beard, discussing the effects of time travel, fourth dimensional sculpture, the subliminal language of the universe, and being real. Though she may not have the makings of a great parliamentarian, she actually is a gifted artist. I would recommend that you check out her work.

With the three major parties being so close to one another, the Green Party faithful could actually serve as kingmakers. It’s unlikely that Epic’s Marijuana Party will generate more than one hundred votes, but the Greens control just enough vote share that were they to lend their support to any of the big three, it might actually sway the riding in the direction they decide. Both the Liberals and New Democrats have promised some form of electoral reform. Should they stay true to that promise, it would benefit the Greens greatly in future elections. So Saint John Greens have a choice; cast a ballot this year for Sharon Murphy just to make a statement or swallow a difficult pill this year so that Green ballots will actually be counted in future elections. As printed in previous posts, Saint John-Rothesay would not be the first riding to see Greens take this approach.

Nearly Halfway There

If it feels as though this election should be over, that’s because it almost should be. We are currently enjoying the longest and most expensive Canadian federal election since 1872. The added cost to the taxpayer is unreal. We, the taxpayers, will be footing the bill for the political parties to jockey for power in a needless game of thrones. The extra length of this writ period will allow the parties to double the amount they spend on campaigning. The problem with that is the parties get a campaign rebate of 50% of whatever they spend. Normally, an election would last 37-50 days with a spending limit of $25,000,000 but this elongated election allows the parties to spend $50,000,000. Fortunately, only one party has the funds to actually spend that much cash; the Conservatives. So, regardless of your political stripes, Stephen Harper has positioned himself into a position where you are paying $25,000,000 for his television commercials and air fare. That is approximately 66 doctors who could have been hired, or 357 policemen in Ontario, or would have paid for 40 new CT Scanners for unequipped hospitals. And this is just the cost of one party’s campaign!

Another shocking figure; $500,000,000. That is how much it is going to cost Elections Canada to set up shop and oversee a 78 day election. That’s the cost of setting up temporary offices, hiring staff, setting up the returning offices, and running telephones. The entire 500 million (projected by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation) will be paid entirely from the public coffers. The 2008 Canadian federal election cost $286,000,000.

But Stephen Harper said this election would somehow save the taxpayer money? If that was the first campaign promise of the season, it is officially, already broken.

The polls for Atlantic Canada have been crazy. Just over a month ago, the New Democrats were poised to take up to four seats in New Brunswick. That figure has flipped and now has the Liberals winning up to six seats; Beausejour, Fredericton, Madawaska-Restigouche, Miramichi-Grand Lake, Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe, and Tobique-Mactaquac. Liberal support in the region has skyrocketed; from 40% a month ago to nearly 50% today (according to the CBC poll tracker).

Other interesting ridings include Fundy Royal where the Conservatives and New Democrats are in a statistical tie at 33% and the Liberals lagging behind at 22%. Saint John-Rothesay where incumbent Rodney Weston and the Tories have dropped to third place despite major spending and an outrageous sign campaign. Saint John-Rothesay currently has the NDP in a lead over second place Liberals, fifth place Greens, and even a Marijuana Party candidate.

Pirates Beseige New Brunswick

Perhaps beseige is too strong a word. Pirates limp into federal election may be a better fitting headline. Two pirates in fact; James Wilson and Daniel Mlodecki of the Pirate Party have entered the federal election. They aim to commandeer the New Brunswick ridings of Fundy Royal and Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe respectively.

The Pirate Party of Canada is a little fringe party that came to be in October 2009. Not the first of its kind, the party is modelled on pirate parties in Europe. Their aim is simple, if not limited. The majority of the pirate platform centers on internet issues and calling for an end to copyright. The Pirates aim to restore internet privacy, more accessibility to government data, more government transparency, and a less centralized government. If this sounds familiar it is because these are all issues near and dear to the hearts of the Green Party of Canada. However, the Pirate Party feels that the Greens are not pushing these specific issues hard enough (focusing instead on environmental issues).

Certainly, some of these goals are noble but others are problematic. The Pirate stance on copyright and patents, for one, raises a number of compicated legal questions. Free movies and music would obviously benefit the customer but to the detriment of the artist. However, loosening of patents would also make it easier for corporations to share medical research, findings, and formulas thus potentially lowering the price of costly medicines and advancing better cures ad treatments.

The party itself also seems plagued with problems. James Wilson’s candidate page has not been updated since before the Autumn of 2014 when he was living in Alberta. There have also been six leaders since the party was founded just six years ago. The ten candidates who ran in 2011 also faced tough numbers at the polls; none garnered much more than 1% of the vote in any given riding.

Still, Wilson and Mlodecki are pushing ahead under the Pirate banner. Wilson is a former leader of the Pirate Party and a graduate of Mount Allison University. He will be running against Conservative incumbent Rob Moore and four others in a riding expected to remain blue after October 19th. Mlodecki studied business at the University of Western Ontario and runs the popular Moncton bar- Navigator’s Pub. Mlodecki is facing tough opponents from the four major parties.

Campaign Gaffes 2015

It is great to be a Canadian; with socialized healthcare, hockey, poutine, manners, and the CBC. Americans just don’t get it. What else do Americans not get? An election which is really a collection of threehundred-thirtyeight mini elections. So unlike our neighbours to the South, where a presidential election is a tightly controlled and scritped dog and pony show, a Canadian election is a free-for-all of candidates. These candidates are not carefully vetted and closely monitored by the party brass (at least not as much as an American candidate would be). So we get to see a myriad of stars, brains, smiles, and yes- some losers and wingnuts.

Gilles Guibord was a Conservative candidate in a Montreal riding riding until he was outed by a local blogger for sexist remarks he spewwed on social media. Some “wisdom” that Guibord shared in a blog included the opinion that men “have authority over women” not only thanks to Biblical scripture, but also due to man’s physical strength over women. Guibord also challenged aboriginal historical rights to land, saying that it is actually the French who hold ancestral rights to the lands in Quebec. We, the public, still don’t know if Guibord resigned acfter his gaffes came to light, or if the Conservative Party fired him, but there is yet no Tory replacement for him in the riding of Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie.

William Moughrabi, Conservative candidate for Ahuntsic-Cartierville deleted his Facebook account after the media blasted him for extremely violent posts as well as some very sexist ones. Moughrabi apologized, but refused to resign. Stephen Harper did not comment on his candidate. Moughrabi should consider resigning. Violence and sexism aside, the Tories need a stronger candidate. Moughrabi sits in fourth place, behind first place Liberals, second place NDP, and third place Bloc Quebecois. Only a few points separate Moughrabi and last place Greens.

Not one to be outdone, the Liberals have gifted Calgarians with Ala Buzreba. Again, ghosts of social media came back to haunt the political hopeful. Quotes including, “Your mother should have used that coat hanger” and homophobic quips such as “I look like a flipping lesbian” forced Buzreba to publicly apologize. Her excuse was that these were horrible things said as a teenager and she even held the support of leader Justin Trudeau. Public opinion proved too much however and Buzreba was forced to resign. The Liberal Party promise to run someone new but have yet to find a suitable replacement.

Even the Green Party, whom have been all but ignored by the media, have had a few gaffes hit the headlines when candidate Gary Beamish withdrew from the election to support his New Democrat counterpart. When pressed about the turn of events, Elizabeth May said that she would respect his decision as the Green Party is a grassroots party. However, the Green Party executive have stated their distaste of supporting another party. Beamish. representing Peterborough-Kawartha maintains that his decision is whats best for the future of the country.

The Green Party however gained the unexpected support of two New Democrats. Parry Sound-Muskoka NDP Riding Association President Clyde Mobbley was dismissed from the party when he urged the party faithful to throw their support behind the riding’s Green candidate. Jose Nunez-Melo was elected to the house of commons in 2011 but had a falling out with the New Democrats and crossed the floor to the Green Party. Nunez-Melo will be running as a Green in the riding of Vimy.

The leaders are not immune to the occasional gaffe either. From Justin Trudeau’s carebear take on fixing the economy from the heart outward to Elizabeth May’s colourful pre-campaign speech at the Parliamentary Press Gallery dinner, the leaders have been known to turn heads. Lest we forget the gruesome beauty that was May’s most bizarre public appearance, the dinner speech led many to believe May was either drunk or high. She played the themesong to “Welcome Back Kotter” on her cellphone into the mic, she accused male politicians of being slaves to Freud’s sexual drive theory, she cursed without merit, and she accused the government cabinet of having little to no class. May later apologized and denied that she was under the influence of anything but that rather that she was sleep deprived and trying to be funny.

The gold standard for political gaffes goes to Conservative candidate Jerry Bance. in 2012 Bance was caught on camera by the CBC urinating into a homeowner’s coffee mug while answering a service call. Bance is running in a Toronto battleground riding and has the full support of the party. Cabinet Minister Jason Kenney has campaigned and posed for photos with Bance. Scarborough-Rouge Park will likely need more than Jason Kenney to convince them that their vote is best spent on a repairman who urinates in people’s mugs and dumps his waste down kitchen sinks.

It almost makes Donald Trump’s shrewd and sexist comments look downright acceptable. And they say Canadian politics are boring. I challenge that notion!

Time to get Federal

New Brunswick, sadly, is not a province known for being progressive. Provincially we tend to be stuck to two mainstream parties who almost share a common platform (though we achieved a milestone in our history by electing Green Leader David Coon in our last provincial election). Likewise, we tend to only send one of two options Ottawa. But some polls are suggesting all that may be changing.

Some stunning seat projections show New Brunswickers may actually send up to four New Democrats to Ottawa in October. Tory support in the province is down across the board, Liberals are surging, Greens have seen a few bursts of support but have again begun to slump, and the NDP are looking at record levels of support in Fredericton and Saint John. Three weeks ago, Fredericton was a statistical tie between the Conservatives, Liberals, and New Democrats- though the Liberals have since broken well ahead of the pack in the capital city. Saint John however tells a different story. Polls from the port city are showing NDP candidate AJ Griffin in the lead.

It is difficult to believe Griffin could be doing so well; she doesn’t have any sign ups in the city yet, hasn’t yet opened her campaign headquarters (that comes on September 8th), and was the last candidate nominated between herself, the tories’ Rodney Weston, and Liberal Wayne Long. By the time Griffin gets her signs ready for display, she may find it difficult to find the real estate as Weston and Long have painted the town red and blue- in many cases littering fields and roadsides with repeats of signs back-to-back (just in case you missed the first half-dozen). But Weston’s lackluster performance in the commons and a general Harper-fatigue seem to have set in across the riding of Saint John-Rothesay causing the NDP to poll higher in the riding before they even had a candidate.

Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe is also showing sign of serious Blue Party Blues and have placed the incumbent Robert Goguen in third place at 20% of the vote. Liberal Candidate Ginette Petitpas-Taylor is currently enjoying 45% support of those polled.

Sadly for Elizabeth May and her Green Machine, the NB riding where they have the highest support is Fredericton at a meager 10.4%. May and David Coon teamed up to rally up support in the city, but to little avail.

The three ridings which are most likely to remain true to the blues are currently Fundy Royal, New Brunswick Southwest, and Tobique-Mactaquac.

A Wounded Animal

The New Democrats have the most to lose and the least to gain in this election. They won’t win the West, they are losing their grip on Quebec, and they have already lost their one seat in New Brunswick with little chance of gaining another. There was never any chance of Thomas Mulcair becoming prime minister, but there was a good chance of him holding his title of Leader of the Opposition. But now that his numbers have fallen, Harper’s on the rise, and Justin Trudeau raising more political donations; Mulcair sees himself losing his post.

New Democrats are also feeling the threat of Trudeau’s popularity. The online NDP communities have become downright vitriolic. The Conservative online presence has always been a toxic hotspot for barbs and meaningless quips that doesn’t garner any meaningful political dialogue. But now the NDP network is giving the Big Blue Mudslingers a run for their money. They have even began turning on each other when someone sugguests a slur has gone too far or questions the relevance of a spur in the greater discourse.

Who is the target of the NDP fanclub? Everyone. Nobody is safe, save the Bloc Quebecois who have flown totally under everyone’s radar for months. Elizabeth May and Justin Trudeau have taken the most orange heat; May for suggesting Liberals were easier to work with, and Trudeau for being his father’s son.

Stephen Harper is still the subject of a few hardliners, but has seemingly given the target he wore on his back to Justin. With the focus of opposition pointed anywhere but at the government itself, Harper has managed to push through some very devastating legislation which hurts every Canadian’s civil liberties and grants additional powers to police forces a-la-Orwell’s 1984. The NDP support base also seems more presoccupied with Justin Trudeau’s hair than the fact that Stephen Harper spent $700,000 on court costs to avoid paying veterans their promised income.

True, the NDP is like a battered boxer just before the TKO; swinging wildly in all directions but connecting with nothing. Let’s hope for the sake of democracy that Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition is able to come back with a strong finish in the next round before the Tories take away anymore of the Canadian identity in their move towards a police state.

Tories Take the Lead

According to the newest seat projections, Stephen Harper’s Tories are poised to win the most seats in the upcoming federal election. According to threehundredeight.com, the Conservatives could win an estimated 136 seats over Justin Trudeau’s Liberals (with an estimated 126). Threehundredeight.com weighs the polling results of all the major pollsters, taking other considerations into account and is often very accurate. The projection puts the blue team in the lead only in terms of seat count but maintains the Liberals still hold the popular vote; 33.7% to the tories’ 32.4%. Thomas Mulcair and the New Democrats may win 72 seats, Elizabeth May and the Greens 2, Bloq Quebecois 2.

How is the battle shaping up in our neck of the woods? The Liberals are projected to take 23 seats in the Atlantic region. On our coast, Harper is only polling high enough to take 6 seats.

The Toronto Star suspects New Brunswick may give the Liberals a strong showing; citing the large increase in paid Liberal memberships from the province, as well as the continued shut out of the NDP. But again, the Tory surge seems to be on the rise and New Brunswick houses a few Conservative strongholds.

Trudeau may not have the easy fight that was projected just a month ago. However, Harper is still in minority territory and overall the Left will have a majority of seats- should they ever stop attacking one another and decide to work together.

The Orange Exit

Under the leadership of Thomas Mulcair, eight New Democrat MPs have been lost. National support for the party is in decline. According to polls conducted by Ipsos Reid, Angus Reid Global, and Corporate Research Associates; support for the NDP in New Brunswick is under 20%. With Yvon Godin stepping down from re-election, it is very likely that New Brunswick will see the only glimmer of orange within its border fade out.

To put that statistic into perspective; the NDP was at 29.8% in NB in 2011 under Jack Layton. Currently, the Liberals are projected at somewhere between 44 and 49% in NB. The Conservatives are at 29% to 32% here at home. Add to that the 2014 shut out of NDP in the provincial election and you may feel safe to bet against Mulcair gaining or even maintaining electoral support in New Brunswick.

The party has also been slow to nominate its contenders. Is it fielding the best possible candidates or having trouble scraping a few up?

Yvon Godin

Getting to know the New Brunswick incumbents is important. Should they decide to run for re-election, every citizen should know how they have served us thus far. Has their stewardship of the offices the hold reflected the values of their constituents? Have they acted in the best interests of New Brunswickers or have they adhered to party whips and did what was best for the party?

The incumbent for Acadie-Bathurst is Yvon Godin. He has represented his district since 1997. He is currently the critic of Labour and Official Languages.

Godin has introduced a number of private member’s bills on issues important to New Brunswick. In October of 2013 he introduced Bill C-497 in an attempt to amend the Navigable Waters Protection Act (to protect rivers including the Saint John River and the St Croix River). A recently defeated bill of Godin’s was aimed to ensure that anyone appointed to the Supreme Court have a working knowledge of both official languages. In 2010 Godin introduced a bill in response to the infamous Bathurst van accident which saw 8 members of the Bathurst High basketball team die tragically in an avoidable accident.

Bill C-522 would have prohibited the 15 passenger van for the transport of students. The vans, which were meant to be used as cargo transport have been banned in New Brunswick and across the United States. Godin aimed to prevent another tragedy in Canada like the one in Bathurst. It was solid, sensible legislation but partisan priorities got in the way. The Conservatives did not want to allow the New Democrats a victory and the bill never had the opportunity to pass.

Godin has a history of introducing and passing legislation that is in the vein of his riding’s zeitgeist. Though he is a true New Democrat, he’ll vote for his riding before towing the party line. Godin also doesn’t have a problem with voicing his opinion about problems beneath the orange banner. He recently stated what he sees as “the problem” with the provincial NDP; namely Dominic Cardy. Godin told the CBC that Dominic Cardy took the party too far right and thus lost appeal with left wing voters.

There is a chance however that Godin is considering leaving federal politics. According to an article on the Max 104.9 website, Godin is considering not running in the 2015 election. The riding of Acadie-Bathurst supports Godin overwhelmingly but was once a red riding. If Godin does step down, he may be leaving the door open for the surging Liberals who are poolling very high in Atlantic Canada.

Francophobia New Brunswick

A person can learn a lot about political parties and their supporters by reading through a party newsletter, sitting in on a rally, or reading messages on the party’s message board. Progressive Conservatives worry about government interference and taxes, Liberals worry about equality and healthcare, but it would appear that supporters of the People’s Alliance are very concerned about the French.

The party is crippled with francophobia (or more commonly gallophobia). Party supporters are currently debating the amount of French speaking citizens, allowing French immigrants into the province, playgrounds at French schools, and bilingualism in the healthcare system. While few members have noted there are more pressing issues facing the province, the debate has waged on. It’s not even a debate really; more and more members are just adding reasons to allow the Acadien population to shrink and permit the culture to dissipate.

Wait times for cancer patients has been linked by one PANB supporter to bilingualism in the healthcare system. This is the type of wild association or hysteria that saw the southern United States enact Jim Crow laws. The rampant racism against the Acadien community on the PANB message boards should be a red flag for anybody considering the People’s Alliance as a viable option. One brave member of the party’s Facebook group stated that the discussion sounds like, “ethnic cleansing” and he might not be far off the mark.

Another thread taking place on the PANB Facebook page centers on a letter to the Moncton Times-Transcript from a “concerned citizen” about the francophone press. The letter is a clear example of a privileged majority not understanding a minority counterpart. The writer was deeply upset and even threatened by the francophone bias for francophone politicians and suggests the newspaper should not have superimposed an Acadien flag over the legislature. The writer found this photo of the legislature with a minority banner threatening just as many white Louisianans found black students in their schools threatening. Naturally, a newspaper that caters to a specific subsect of society is going to focus on members of that group in positions of power; it is no different than gays and lesbians wanting to follow Scott Brison and Libby Davies in the federal parliament.

Of course this unjustified fear of our francophone neighbours is not new to the People’s Alliance. Kris Austin and his compatriots whipped up a small level of support for his anti-French statements during the campaign. Austin promised to cut government waste; that is French correspondence and French civil servants among other things.

Saint John East candidate Arthur Watson has yet to state his position on the matter.

Changing Colours

Autumn. The trees are like an artist’s palate; a beautiful blend of orange, yellow, and crimson red. Everyday New Brunswickers can look out their windows and see a tree that was yesterday green but today red and orange. But this autumn it is not only the leaves changing colour, but also the signage on the front lawns of East Side Saint Johners. Topeka Street, Courtenay Avenue, Bayside Drive, Westmorland Roadand all of East Saint John is lighting up with bright signs and smiling faces; but not as it was before September 22nd.

Only slightly more than a month has passed, but it might as well have been four years. Many lawns which once boasted scarlet signage with the Keating name are now Green or even moreso; orange. The riding which saw the New Democrat star rise in a 1984 by-election now seems to be leaning that way once more; exactly 30 years later. NDP Leader Dominic Cardy accepted his party’s request to run in the by-election (with the blessing of Phil Comeau who ran in the general election) and seems to be out to an early lead. If you use the change in lawn signs as an indicator, Cardy has gained the most from the Liberal abdication. But the Greens have also picked up some lawn share.

Not surprisingly, Shelley Rinehart and the Liberal brand is having trouble gaining traction in the smited riding. However, Glen Savoie doesn’t seem to have cumulated the support he had prior to the election either. Savoie, who’s greatest accomplishment listed on his PCNB page is being a fully certified martial arts instructor, has reissued his same signage but added a blue banner pleading voters to “Just Say Yes”. But it would appear that the close-knit riding is not ready to vote for the direct opposition of the government anymore than they are to vote for the party that let them down. East Siders appear to be leaning towards electing someone who will work in conjunction with the governing party without being a part of the pack.

Despite the lacklustre performance of the Liberals; Savoie is targeting them in his attacks. Hiw Twitter currently has an unflattering picture of Rinehart with a vague and misleading accusation that she was part of the attempt to sell NB Power. Rinehart was, at the time, an advisor, one of many, to the Liberal Minister of Energy when the plan came forth to sell the Crown Corporation; but there isn’t any evidence to link Rinehart to the decision. The proud family man uses allusion and misdirection to attack a respected opponent and then paints himself a saint with a personal call to aid in a food drive for a local food bank shortly after.

Election day is November 17th.

Late to the Party

As was the case throughout the general election; People’s Alliance are late to the party. They named their candidate for the Saint John East by-election a few days after everyone else; Arthur Watson. Watson is the owner of Errands R Us, a delivery service in Saint John. He also ran for the seat in Saint John Harbour in the general election, but came in last place with only 115 votes.

The People’s Alliance seem to be suffering from a severe identity problem. Who are they? What is their message? Nearly every candidate had a different vision for New Brunswick. Some party members seem libertarian, while others take on a neo-conservative position, and others are just following orders. During the election, the PANB attacked the French language and offered to end several practices that protect the bilingual status of the province, but they did this while running French candidates. The PANB offered a very detailed and point-specific platform but promised no PANB MLA would be compelled to vote along party lines.

The Progressive Conservatives are not worried about Watson joining the race in Saint John East. They are more confident than ever, in fact. The PC believe that Dominic Cardy joining the race as a strong left wing candidate for the NDP will split the left vote in the riding (which was more than 60% of the vote on Sept 22nd). A strong NDP contender and an angry Liberal electorate might be the magic mix that Savoie needs to take back the riding for the leaderless PC. Meanwhile, the People’s Alliance have such a minute share of the right ring vote that it shouldn’t tip the scales against the PC.

The Stage is Set!

Twenty-two days after winning a narrow victory over Glen Savoie and and Progressive Conservative machine, Liberal Gary Keating threw in the towel. Nobody saw it coming.Premier Brian Gallant had no choice but to `gratefully` accept Keating`s resignation. Keating has given an array of reasons for quitting (most laughable being that the 50 minute drive from Saint John to Fredericton being too much of a commute). Keating`s early bow out prior to the first scene set the stage for another dramatic opportunity for the politicians to come out, bash one another, and plead for your love (and money).

The party in the best position from the Quitting Keating is the Progressive Conservatives. They just lost the riding of Saint John East by the skin of their teeth. It probably didn`t help that they took the riding for granted and Savoie didn`t campaign half as hard as Keating. But they did trump the fiscal donation and lawn sign portion of the dog and pony show; giving the impression that they put in more effort than they did. Despite all that, they are counting on disenfranchised Liberal voters not turning out. That may be a safe assumption but they shouldn`t count on too many Tories showing up at the polls either as another Tory MLA won`t affect Gallant`s majority, and Tory supporters know that. The party in blue has decided to put their chips on Glen Savoie, the smited second choice in the last go around.

The Liberals need a miracle after the Keating fiasco. If we`re being honest, even the most steadfast Grits know their guy screwed the electorate. Gallant needed to deliver a modern-day Lazarus and he may have done it. Saint John`s deputy mayor, Shelley Rinehart. Rinehart is a professor of marketing at UNBSJ. She is extremely popular in the city for her excellent work with city council. But will it be enough to perform a resurrection? Some Saint Johners are speculating that Rinehart’s popularity may actually be a double edged sword as nobody wants to lose her from council.

Back by popular demand; Dominic Cardy. The election saw the NDP come in third place in Saint John East but with the party running their flagship candidate, aim to perform better. After losing the election, Cardy announced he would resign as leader of the New Democrats but that instantly raised revolt in the amond New Democrats who wanted Cardy to stay on as leader. When Keating quit, NDP supporters began to plead with Cardy to run in the by-election. After consulting his family, Cardy decided to do as the party asked of him and threw his name into the hat. Cardy also has the support of Phil Comeau, the NDP’s candidate in the general election.

Green faithful, Sharon Murphy was quick to take the opportunity for another campaign. On September 22nd, Murphy came in fourth place in the riding with 353 votes.

People’s Alliance are also running a candidate but have yet to announce who it will be. Jason Inness was the official PANB candidate in the general election and came in last place with only 115 ballots.

Nobody Likes a Quitter

Nobody likes a quitter; especially Brian Gallant. In a shocking turn of events, just weeks after the hard-fought election in Saint John East, winner Gary Keating has decided to call it quits. This means that Brian Gallant still has a majority, but the majority shrinks! Maybe it’s time for Gallant to begin romancing Green Leader David Coon.

Lots of eyebrows have risen and the speculation surrounding the sudden (and rather shocking) resignation is a buzz across Saint John. Keating fought hard for his victory. He had team Keating t-shirts made and he canvassed harder than just about any other candidate in the city. So naturally no one can comprehend why such a ambitious man would give up so soon. Keating’s only reasoning has been, “…came to the conclusion that this role is not for me” and telling another news outlet that it was a drain of his health and family. So was it that hubris that Keating displayed so flagrantly during the campaign that caused him to give up his station? Keating may have seemed an obvious choice for education minister (a role which went to Serge Rousselle), but was overlooked for the position.

The government now has 6 months before they are obligated to hold a by-election. The riding won won by a narrow margin of 8 votes, ousting PC incumbent Glen Savoie. Savoie was the favourite to win the last go around, and it’s expected that should Savoie run again; he’ll take the riding. If that happens, the PCs will go up to 22 seats to the Liberals’ 26. But given the speaker will be a Liberal, the seat count will actually be 22-25 (with the Greens holding 1). Gallant loses his majority as soon as any one party member has so much as a head cold.

Keating’s quitting has upset many Liberal supporters. Keating ran unopposed for the Liberal nomination, which leaves the floor wide open for a successor. The Liberals should move quickly before the disappointment has much chance to set in.

The Next Big One

As New Brunswick recovers from a very surprising election and the aftermath of serious problems with the vote count, eyes across the province are already shifting to the next big election. The federal election of 2015 is looming on the horizon and parties are busy collecting candidates to contest the Harper Government (formerly known as the Government of Canada). Currently, the Tories hold 8 of the ten ridings in our province.

The only two New Brunswick ridings not held by Stephen Harper’s Conservatives are Acadie-Bathurst (held by Yvon Godin of the New Democrats) and Beausejour (represented by Dominic LeBlanc of the Liberal Party). However, it is important to note that the left wing vote in New Brunswick actually far outweighed the right. But as a result of the vote split between the Liberal’s and Jack Layton’s NDP caused otherwise left ridings to turn blue. Madawaska-Restigouche for example cast more than 20,000 ballots for the left as opposed to the 14,541 for Conservative Bernard Valcourt. Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe gave 31,316 votes to the left but are instead represented by Robert Goguen with his 17,408 votes. The consolidated right vote has a clear advantage in New Brunswick (as it does across the country) whereas the left is split over three parties.

But there are a few new things to consider this time around. Prime Minister Harper’s personal popularity is in decline; he has had nine years of scandals, a flailing economy, run ins with the Supreme Court for trying to pass unconstitutional laws, poorly received legislation, and a plummeting international reputation for the country. Also, the NDP are no longer helmed by popular Layton and instead offer Thomas Mulcair who lacks the personality and promise of Jack Layton. The Liberals are pinning their hopes on fresh faced leader Justin Trudeau; the most popular of the three leaders.

Gaging public opinion in New Brunswick can be difficult as most federall polling firms group lump all of Atlantic Canada into one group. Keeping that in mind, the latest polls indicate that Atlantic Canada is overwhelmingly in favour of the Liberal Party of Canada (52.8%) with the Conservative Party of Canada in a distant second (21.9%), the NDP are neck and neck with the CPC at 21.1%, and the Green Party of Canada trailing far behind at 3.8%. This polling data was released today (Sept 29th).

Watching the candidates emerge will be an interesting event. With only 8 ridings to contend; the Liberals, New Democrats, and Greens should have people of all walks clamouring for nomination. This is especially true after the provincial election we just had which saw more than a few star candidates fall short of their goal. They may still be able to ride the momentum through nomination events over the next few months.

What Needs to Change

Last night saw a remarkable thing happen in New Brunswick. Not the fall of the corrupt and broken Alward government, not the rise of yet another Liberal government, but the election of New Brunswick’s first Green MLA. David Coon ran a wholesome, positive, and downright cheerful campaign. Coon is the type of guy that everyone likes. He is intelligent, friendly, willing to work with others on common goals. But the problem with Coon’s election is that the Green party overall only garnered 6.61% of the vote.

What’s wrong with that? Dominic Cardy and the New Democrats won 12.98% of the vote; nearly double the Green final score. Coon won exactly 1 seat with half of the vote that Cardy collected. Liberal Leader Brian Gallant won an impressive 42% of the popular vote. With less than half of the vote, Gallant won more than half the seats in the house. If you are a math teacher, or even a fifth grade math student you know this just doesn’t add up.

In Canada, we use a sadly outdated method to elect politicians; first past the post. The model is pretty much based off the practice of horse racing, which is great for gambling. But when it comes to electing leaders and representatives who have the power to shape our day-to-day lives, do we really want to gamble? It’s one thing to go to the track with this week’s paycheque, but it’s entirely more serious to go to the track with the provincial purse.

There are a lot of problems with first past the post. As seen last night, you might get more seats than me but I still get more reward. That just isn’t democratic. Voters stay home in many ridings because they know their voice won’t make a difference because of the riding they are in (try voting Liberal anywhere in Alberta- just try it). People are forced to vote for someone other than their first choice because it is “the lesser of two evils”. That just isn’t democratic either.

Once in power, the politician doesn’t feel they have to represent all the people in their riding; just the percentage that voted for them. Imagine David Alward had won last night. Let’s imagine Alward won 40% of the vote with his “Say yes to shale gas” campaign. That means 60% of New Brunswickers still would have said no to shale gas but Alward would have gone forward with it anyway because he only needs to adhere to the minority electorate. That is not how a democracy is supposed to function. In fact, that borders on fascism.

There are other means of electoral process already being widely used across the globe. Proportional representation, preferential voting or ranked voting for example. The most common argument against other voting methods are that they are foreign and should remain in their country of origin. Wrong. Preferential voting is already used in Canada by the political parties themselves when selecting a leader. The parties wouldn’t trust first-past-the-post for themselves but want us to swallow it because it is the only way to hold onto the basic two party system that we have. I also urge you to remember that first-past-the-post is also a foreign system, just a really old one.

Imagine a legislature where 30% is 30% and 2% is 2%. That’s math. That’s also democratic. Some people worry that majority governments would become a thing of the past and we would be called to an election every year. That’s incorrect as well. In proportional representation, a plurality of parties would get elected to govern, but are forced to work together and find common ground in order to pass legislation. This makes better legislation (an industry bill that is generous to industy vis the Tories, progressive on equal pay and sick leave via the Liberals and New Democrats, and environmentally conscious via the Greens). The parties are less likely to call for a new election because popular opinion doesn’t change enough in a small amount of time to warrant a seat change.

Voter turnout this year was down in New Brunswick. Voter turnout has been on the decline in most places that still use first-past-the-post. The best way to remedy this is by changing the electoral system. If everyone knew their vote actually counted regardless of colour or idealogy, they would vote. Grassroots parties would be stronger. Labour would be stronger. Democracy would be stronger.

If we had proportional representation last night, the resuluts would look like this;

Liberal 21 seats, Tories 17 seats, Green 3 seats, NDP 6 seats, PANB 1 seat, and 1 IND seat.

The Long Goodbye

David Alward held his ground and retained his Carleton seat but that came as little solace because he lost the election and saw the emergence of a Liberal Majority. However, despite Alward’s embarassingly low approval rating, staggering unemployment, flailing economy, and lackluster performance in the leader debates; Alward retained at least 21 of the 49 Legislature seats. The Alward cabinet was filleted, most of Alward’s lieutenants were ousted. The cacophony of Tory concession speeches was halted by chorus of conservatives calling their lawyers in a final attempt to hold onto power.

Dominic Cardy drove the New Democrats to fourth party status. He was the first leader to resign late last night. He gave a farewell speech in the vein of Jack Layton, talking about trying and falling with arms wide open. And fall he did. He failed to elect a single New Democrat. His “star candidates” (who were actually just table scaps from the other parties) only managed to split the vote and ensure victories for other parties. In Saint John Lancaster, Cardy ran a liberal against a Liberal in a conservative riding and ensured Conservative Dorothy Shepard won re-election. In Fredericton South he ran a liberal against a a Liberal in a conservative riding and managed to come in fourth place. Cardy did bring the NDP popular vote up overall, but it was so spread out that the “Orange Wave” felt more like an orange lawn sprinkler. When talking to a reporter after the resignation speech, Cardy maintained that his strategy of province wide pushing was superior to David Coon’s consolidated push in fewer ridings. Cardy said that his strategy was to make a difference in the legislature, however he isn’t even there and Coon is.

Despite the New Democrat shortcomings, Cardy’s social media was bombarded with kind words of support and asking him to reconsider resigning. Many believe that Cardy should have put his leadership to the test of a party convention given that he did manage to improve the popular vote but slip to fourth party status.

NDP Apology and Coon’s Rising Numbers

The NDP has apologized for the dark turn of their once bright social media campaign. The campaign which started as a friendly, bright, and optimistic outreach to youthful voters via the web has recently turned ugly. The NDP had released a video likening the Liberal Party to the genocidal Nazi Party. The move not only offended Liberals across the province but also minority groups which were murdereed en masse during Nazi reign in Germany circa the 1930s-1940s. Minority groups saw the distasteful smear as a dimissal of the tragedies they incurred. Initially, Dominic Cardy (NDP Leader) apologized but seemingly downplayed the significance of the video. He later apologized unequivocally.

The NDP still has not recanted the social media smear against a Saint John Liberal which fastened him to gay cruising. They have however, apologized to anyone that took it the wrong way.

The New Brunswick Greens have released some positive numbers for Green Leader David Coon. Poll results released by the party for the riding of Fredericton South puts Coon at 28% of the popular vote behind PC Craig Leonard at 29%. That is a statistical tie. The party has not released numbers for any other candidate in the riding and has not yet released the name of the polling firm which conducted the study.

CRA has released numbers for the province which show the Liberals still in a comfortable lead over the second place Progressive Conservatives but that the gap is closing. CRA says the PCs have made some gains, while the Liberals and NDP have lost some support. The fouth place Greens also made a 1% climb according to CRA.

Election 2014 Update

With only days left to the election, the final push is on. CTV is hosting a leaders’ debate but has decided to leave Coon and Austin out. One Change has hosted some riding debates. Charges against Liberal Andrew Harvey have been dropped. Liberals turn their attacks towards the third place New Democrats. Sign vandalism seems to be higher this year than usual. Greens lay out a new soft drink tax. Seat projections have been provided by the folks over at http://www.threehundredeight.com.

The Green Party has decided to protest the CTV debate (hosted at St Thomas University). In what they are calling “Stand Up to CTV”, the Greens plan to confront what they believe is corporate Canada holding democracy hostage. The event, which takes place September the 18th at 5:30 has 2,300 invites sent out to party faithful and political activists but less than 100 confirmed attendees. Coming off the Elizabeth May bump, we’ll soon discover exactly how many Greens are charged about the election.

Portland-Simonds had a modest (but better than expected) turnout for a One Change riding debate which saw Trevor Holder face his political adversaries. The contenders and incumbent MLA had a much less barbed debate than that of the leaders during the televised CBC debate. Soft spoken, warm, and at times detached; the debate was informative and felt more like a town hall meeting rather than a debate.

Andrew Harvey was being charged for defrauding the government in an incident that took place three years ago. The Crown prosecutor made the decision to drop the charges only recently, saying that the charges didn’t meet the threshold to prosecute. The party still maintains that the timing of the charges is suspect and even went so far as to demand an apology from Premier David Alward for comments he made in regards to the incident.

Brian Gallant has attacked Dominic Cardy and the New Democrats’ platform. Cardy has been extremely critical of Gallant’s costly platform and the $900 million investment in infrastructure; but now Gallant has countered by pointing out the 24 key points in the New Democrat platform which have not even been costed. Gallant has also been hostile on the NDP’s practice of parachuting candidates into ridings where they have no place being. Cardy has taken this in stride, partly because it has gained him and his party some more media attention but also because he feels it is a sign that there might be trouble in Liberal paradise.

Parties and citizens alike have noticed a rise in sign vandalism this year. Large streetside signs have been knocked down, destroyed, and beheaded. Smaller signs have gone missing from sidewalks and lawns. And in some ridings there have been reports of “green vandals” which saw Tory, Grit, and NDP signs pelted with green paint.

Also in Green news, Coon has announced a tax on snack food and sweetened beverages such as pop. The tax is said to have dual benefits: helping youth cut back on unhealthy eating habits as well as creating a new revenue for healthcare in the province.

Threehundredeight.com has tabulated the results of recent polls and combined the results to project plausible election results. Given the limited seats in the New Brunswick Legislature, the projection is rather wide but worth consideration. The results give the Greens and People’s Alliance no chance of attaining even a single seat but speculate the New Democrats could go as high as 5 seats in the best case scenario.

May, Coon be with you

Today saw federal Green leader Elizabeth May add her two cents to the provincial election. May visited Fredericton with David Coon and a chorus of Green candidates for a very impromptu rally held at the Irock Bar. Turnout seemed good, though there was virtually no media present. The party offered free corn and coffee to people just prior to the soap box speeches. There were people banging tambourines and dancing to pop music. Others gave out pins and pamphlets. A reporter for CBC/Radio Canada desperately searched the crowd for a francophone (we did see her find at least one). CTV appeared to make a brief visit.

Once inside the bar, spirits seemed to lower considerably. There was only a brief wait before May and Coon entered, hand in hand to a short burst of applause. The crowded room then returned to a state of near silence. The first speaker was a young gentleman who couldn’t be heard. In an embarassing turn of events, the sound equipment wasn’t set up properly and the speaker went through ten minutes of testing the mic, shouting across the room and even using a bullhorn. Once he could finally be heard, he attempted to stir the room which looked more like a somber St. Patrick’s day funeral. Only a few polite people clapped.

The next speaker was David Coon’s wife, and member of the Green shadow cabinet, Janice Harvey. Harvey also experienced painful technical difficulties at several points during her bevy of memories involving May. At one point, campaign workers could be seen waving Harvey down when she became sidetracked and began reminiscing about the late Pierre Trudeau toppling the Joe Clark government more than thirty years ago.

Screens throughout the bar then went to video of Elizabeth May taking VIA Rail trains across the country, but another technical issue muted the sound for the first half of the long introductory video.

Once the video was over, May took the podium. The most concise speaker of the day, May reminded the university town of the importance of the student vote. She stressed the need for students to help each other understand the process, find the polls, and get out there to do their civic duty. She took the opportunity to attack Stephen Harper and the “Fair Elections Act”. May suggested that Green supporters tell female cashiers at grocery stores that this year they are voting Green. May urged New Brunswick to break free of old-party dictators and wake up; in so doing they would wake up the country.

The room finally began to come alive at this point, but still rather conservatively compared to other rallies and party picnics during the election period. While few clapped and even fewer cheered, many were watching their phones and checking watches. Campaign workers donned in green hustled about the room and tried in vain to get pockets of the audience fired up.

Like a political pro, May steamed on with passion and arms open. She recounted stories of media outlets mocking her chances of winning her seat in Saanich-Gulf Islands. She told a tale about a radiohost who told her she couldn’t get elected dog catcher. May said that she knew better, that she could feel a change coming. She said that she feels that change in New Brunswick. May stated a firm belief that David Coon could be the first elected Green MLA east of Vancouver Island.

A brief, weak chant of “David, David” started but ended just as suddenly.

Elizabeth May then announced the need for money. She asked that even if you had already donated, to donate again. When the room got cold she moved on to another story about Bruce Hyer crossing the floor to join the Green caucus and how members of the federal NDP voiced concern over being “customer service agents” but were comfortable with that status in the end. She said that Ottawa is not like the Frank Capra film “Mr Smith Goes to Washington”.

May then talked about the important of a myriad of free voices in parliament and the legislature. She invoked Sir John A. Macdonald and his sentiment of MPs being loose fish.

As Elizabeth May stepped down, the screens went to a video collection of images and videos, news clippings, and family photos of a young David Coon with a full head of hair. The video went over the course of Coon’s career in environmentalism and activism. There were a few awkward photos of young Coon in the shower with a set of hair ensconced abdominal muscles spliced in as well.

Coon stepped up at the closing of the video tribute and may have received an even warmer applause than May herself. He quickly went over the Green platform points; local economy, agriculture, improving living conditions for those on government assistance, and renewable energy. He joked and smiled. He discussed the severity of the sitaution in New Brunswick and how things have to change. Coon then enjoyed a more engaged “David, David” chant.

That was when Coon invited every campaign worker, staffer, and candidate up to the makeshift stage. As staffers and candidates moved up to the stage, one by one, by name; the room emptied. The well intended act revealed that nearly half of those in attendence were not supporters, voters, or undecideds; they were the Green Party itself. Now, the three-quarter empty room gazed up at the crowded stage with the all too familiar mellowness. The applause from the floor decreased little by little as the faces in the audience made their way to Coon’s side.

Poorly prepared rally aside, it is worth mentioning the flood of Green lawn signs that peppered the Fredericton hill when coming into Fredericton. Green signs outnumbered any other party in the riding. It was clear that Coon is well liked by those in the crucial riding. On top of lawn signs which could be found on nearly half the lawns passed, the party has a series of large signs sporting Coon’s smiling face all across town. Of all the towns and cities we have been to since the campaign started, none have seen the level of fondness nor support for the Green Party as Fredericton.

Perhaps the change which May and Coon so often referred to really is coming.

The Debate Recap

The attacks came out during the opening statements. Kris Austin (PANB) lit the first fireworks when he used his opening minute to attack the Alward record. Brian Gallant (L) got in line and fired off at the premier for being the first in forty years to have zero new job creation. Premier Alward (PC) was visibly nervous and kept looking to his notes for support. Dominic Cardy (NDP) opened last and fired off at Alward for his stance on fracking as well as Gallant for his wild spending.

The first debate section focused on jobs, the debt, and the economy. Austin again took to slamming Alward, this time for Alward’s 2010 promise to balance the books. Austin pointed out that Alward has actually made matters worse; the debt is considerably higher and the yearly deficit is unsustainable. Coon stated that he would help lower the debt by taxing pollution. Cardy jumped in and reminded voters of his $1.1 billion income tax trust from the profits of NB Liquor which would go immediately to lowering the $12 billion debt. Stuttering, Alward attempted to defend himself by mentioning some of the spending cuts he has made but was cut off by an angry Gallant who said that the cuts were arbitrary and were not beneficial. Cardy kept on task and chastized the premier in agreement with Gallant that the cuts were arbitrary, but turned on Gallant for exacerbating the situation with huge spending. Coon came back into the conversation by expressing his concern over the lack of transparency in government spending. Coon and his Greens had to go to court to get information on resource contracts; something that should be readily available to the public. With only minutes left to the topic, Coon and Cardy seemingly teamed up on the Tories and Grits by saying that shale gas exploration was not the way to ring jobs or revenue into New Brunswick. Coon asked the premier flatly, how much money has it brought into the province thus far; zero dollars. Alward confirmed that shale gas has yet to bring money into the province but that it is only because they are still in the exploration period.

On the topic of shale gas… Gallant said that the Liberals want a moratorium on the issue. Cardy questioned the sense of a Liberal moratorium when they are the party that gave the go ahead prior to Alward taking office and the fact that Liberals are on the company boards for shale gas corporations. Austin put it out there that something as major as shale gas or fracking should be put to a referendum and attacked all other leaders for having already made decisions without a referendum. Naturally, Alward said yes to shale gas but stuttered through most of this portion of the debate. David Coon tried discussing something about natural gas and shale gas with Alward but found himself being spoken over by the other leaders. Gallant again attacked Alward on being the first premier in forty years to have zero job creation. The discussion ended while Coon finally got the floor to attack Alward on the poor forestry contracts the government has made with Irving.

Gallant opened the next discussion with his promise of 5000 new jobs in his first year of governing. Gallant promised 10,000 over the first four years. Coon suggested creating new jobs by creating solar energy for the province, an update to existing energy infrastructure. Cardy stayed on (platform) script and started stating ideas laid forth in the party platform. Alward mentioned the jobs in Miramichi via a wood pellet deal that ships Miramichi wood pellets across the globe. Then Cardy jumped on Gallant and put things into perspective; the NDP literally begged the Liberals to reel in their spending habits. Cardy said that the province couldn’t afford the kind of spending that Gallant was proposing and that our children would be stuck paying for it. Austin contributed nothing to this whole section of the debate other than saying the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives are the same old thing.

This topic was is on First Nations. Coon spoke warmly on how the province needs to adhere to the treaties we made with First Nations, to work better with them, to be fair, and to educate the people of the province on those treaties. Cardy wants to sit with Band Chiefs to negotiate in the best interests of both sides. Alward actually shone during this segment. Alward proudly stated that when he took office as premier, he gave himself the First Nations file because government should deal with government. Gallant uttered something about Grey Rock (likely the Grey Rock Power Centre which had it’s grand opening in 2013). Cardy then attacked Gallant for being the only party that sent nobody to meet with the band Chiefs, turned to Alward and congratulated him on sending people but added, nothing came from it. Cardy was on fire all night long. Coon added that we all need to be allies with First Nations. A stammering Alward then replied to Cardy that the problem stems from the federal government side of things.

Next topic is social justice. Cardy would put up minimum wage. Gallant repeated his promise of 10,000 jobs over four years. Coon brought up that 11,000 children in New Brunswick are living in poverty. Coon used this as a platform to recommend an increase in welfare, for the childrens’ sake. Gallant talked about putting minimum wage up to $10.30/h. Cardy jumped on Gallant for not sending anybody from his party to the poverty reduction meetings. Cardy came out swinging at both big leaders. Suddenly, Kris Austin woke from his deep slumber and attacked Alward because he feels that New Brunswickers can’t afford Alward’s drug prescription plan. Coon jumped in but found himself being steamrolled by Cardy who spoke so loudly over the smaller man that you couldn’t make out Coon’s input.

Healthcare. Austin jumped in and suggested merging the French and English medical systems to save millions on overhead and streamline the process. He also suggested ending the practice of hiring so many French paramedics, a recurring theme from him throughout the evening. Alward brought up his health registry and how it has made an improvement for New Brunswickers getting access to family doctors. Gallant accused Alward of supportering Stephen Harper’s cuts to healthcare. Coon said we need more community health centres to aid in preventative health care. Cardy suggested changing the pay model for doctors. And Austin attcked bilingualism again and wants to let go of French speaking employees in communities that do not warrant the need for French speaking employees. Alward suggested having pharmacists and nurses do more. Coon closed the subject by explaining how a better environment would lead to better general health and relieve strain from the system.

A question from a voter asked about female representation in government. Coon proudly stated that at 22, he has the most female candidates of any party in the 2014 election. Gallant sounded off some statistics about women in the legislature, women in parliament, and other fun facts. Cardy called out Alward on closing a woman’s office. Alward then began some long statement about how women are often too busy to get involved in politics because they hold everything together at home. Cardy cut off the borderline sexist comment of Alward and said that the legislature should adjust its hours for mothers and fathers of children who also serve as an MLA, like the UK model. Coon suggested that women don’t run for office, not because they are busy at home, but because they are intimidated by the party structure; not being able to vote as they want but having to tow a partyline. Austin agreed with Coon, as people seemed to do periodically all night. But Dominic Cardy assailed the stance, saying that without a party whip the party platform means nothing. Gallant agreed with points made on all sides. Cardy closed the discussion with stressing the importance of pay equity.

The subject; holding government to account. Gallant opens AGAIN with his promise of 10,000 jobs over four years. Coon shook his head at the answer of the Liberal leader and explained how MLAs don’t know what their jobs are and that they need to get back to work. Coon said that once elected, MLAs can’t be in constant campaign mode; they need to do their job. Cardy wants to open the books and put them online for total transparency to the public. Gallant agreed that NB needs more transparency. Alward bragged about his quartly updates and his party’s donation audit. Cardy cut Alward back down for campaigning on shriking government and then increasing both cabinet and the premier’s office. Coon spoke up on the need for sunshine laws; no more backroom deals. Alward defended himself and stated that he is transparent, to which Gallant cleverly replied, “Alward, we can see right through you.” Not one to share the attack spotlight, Cardy turned on the witty Gallant for having a platform of 80 promises and lots of exoenditures with no revenue. Gallant had no witty comeback.

Of those who watched the debate with us, all but one agreed that Cardy clearly won the debate. The dissenter felt Gallant won. Everyone agreed that the ever-silent Austin was the obvious loser; he contributed nearly nothing and when he did it was usually vitrolic towards government or the French language. Alward also scored low for his nervous behaviour and stuttering; he was in no way prepared for this debate. Coon spoke frequently, but quietly, and allowed others to step over him. Everyone in our viewing party scored Coon in third place.

Albert

Despite its unassuming name, Albert is an old riding with a fascinating history. It has swung from Liberal to Progressive Conservative and once went to the Confederation of Regions (now disbanded provincial party). In recent years it has given better numbers to the Greens than to the NDP, seen the PC receive three quarters of the popular vote, and recently the riding grew even larger.

Historically, it was always a tight race in Albert. In recent years, the personal popularity of Wayne Steeves (PC) has thrown off the balance between the meanstream parties. However, this year sees the departure of Steeves, the discontent of the province with the Alward Government, and the entry of Brian Keirstead. Keirstead is a real estate agent who doesn’t have the benefit Steeves’ impressive portfolio or community connections. Though he may enjoy the PC network set up by his predecessor.

The NDP haven’t provided any information or bio for candidate Kelly-Sue O’Connor on their site as yet. This isn’t surprising given their poor numbers in the riding. O’Connor’s LinkedIn account touts her status as a manger at MAC Cosmetics and founder of the Bore Music Festival.

Ira Wilbur (G) has worked in mental health, aquaculture, and information technology. He is pushing for job creation by moving the province towards clean, renewable energy. He proports that this will be a beneficial to both small and big buisness alike.

Terry Keating (L) is positioning himself to take over the seat in Albert over his perceived mishandling of government over a series of issues including tourism, fracking, and infrastructure. Keating says that the government has missed opportunities and prevented the region from living up to its full potential.

Bill Brewer (PANB) is trying to absorb some of the right wing vote that will undoubtedly be left in the wake of Steeves’ departure. Brewer is a retail manager and former journalist.

Carleton-Victoria

This race is a little crowded. This race is also a little drama-filled and has stolen some attention from the overall election. Though it is comprised of two Tory ridings, there is no incumbent running for re-election. The Liberal candidadte is no longer a Liberal as he was suspended from the party over allegations of fraud. There are two independents running. There is also a Green and New democrat just trying to be heard.

The district is made up of portions of both Carleton (PC stronghold) and Victoria-Tobique (Liberal from 1987-2010). PC incumbents Dale Graham and Wes McLean are, for the moment, leaving public life. This left the PC nomination open for Dr. Colin Lockhart, who has practiced medicine in three provinces as well as providing medical care relief in Haiti. He would be the likely frontrunner were it not for the low approval rating of the current PC Alward Government, especially in the hardhit rural regions.

The would-be prime opponent is Liberal-not-Liberal Andrew Harvey. Despite being suspended temporarily from Liberal caucus, he is still featured on the Liberal campaign site and still boasts Liberal signs in and around his riding. When he isn’t running for office, he is an industrious buisnessperson who employs many in his community. He and other members of his family are currently being charged for defrauding the government of a considerable sum of money. Unfortunately, the court hearings will not be held until after the election. Should Harvey win the riding, and then be found innocent, Brian Gallant will allow Harvey to return to Liberal caucus. Harvey has alleged that the timing of these charges, laid by the RCMP, are bogus and conveniently timed to interfere with the election. Harvey does have until September 20th to formally withdraw from the election.

Joe Gee of the NDP is a jack of all trades. He has been a teacher, a farmer, a welder, a community support worker, and more. He also undertook the task of researching and bringing to life the history of the Underground Railroad; which saw Black Americans come to Canada via New Brunswick to escape slavery. Gee is an interesting and ardent democrat who may actually have become the prime opponent to continued PC rule of teh region in the wake of Harvey’s court battle.

Garth Farquhar is the owner of Tobique Log Homes. For more than thirty years, he has built homes for a living.

Not happy with any of the parties, Carleton-Victoria has two options to vote independent; Carter Edgar and Terry Ritchie.

Fredericton-West Hanwell

Formed from two merged Fredericton ridings, Fredericton-West Hanwell is comprised of two PC held ridings. Large components of Fredericton-Silverwood and York are the basis for the new riding and provide a close race primarily between the Liberals and Conservatives, though there is a strong New Democrat component here as well. Given that people vote for leaders, and the NDP leader is running here; it could turn into an interesting threeway race.

Incumbent PC MLA Brian Macdonald is a veteran of the Canadian military and has been involved with several programs overseas. He was a policy advisor to Defence Minister Peter Mackay. He studied economics in England. Despite his impressive history, he has not yet been given a cabinet post by the premier.

NDP Leader Dominic Cardy will give it his all to win over the newborn riding. When Cardy took over the party in 2012, the party was in serious debt. Cardy balanced the books and modernized the party mechanics. He has worked with former US President Jimmy Carter to release underaged political prisoners in Bangladesh. He models his brand of social democracy in the form of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Liberal Bernadine Gibson is a healthcare worker who has concerns about the current system. She says she has studied the healthcare system of New Brunswick for twenty years and has ideas on how to fix it. Gibson says that NB lacks the services it needs, especially in the fields of senior care and mental health care.

Green Gayla MacIntosh is a self described ordinary person. She has been a tree planter for Natural Resources, a volunteer at her church, and a volunteer with Scouts. Her reasons for running is to see a more environmentally friendly government and a better tomorrow.

There is no People’s Alliance candidate running here.

At Last, the Liberal Platform

With only two weeks left before election night, Brian Gallant has bestoyed upon us the Liberal Platform. It’s not as lengthy as the other three platforms released by the PANB, Green, and NDP parties respectively. It cut a lot of the waste out and went straight for the numbers (and a few jabs at the PCs).

The Liberals propose saving $90 million in their first year by doing three things. First they would axe the property tax giveaway which benefits malls, power plants, large companies, and rental properties. Before the Alward government put this tax cut into effect (he announced it in 2012), his own finance minister, Blaine Higgs, said that they could not afford it. Secondly, the Liberals would cut the duplication of communications and information (they did not take the liberty of explaining what this is but might we assume it’s the English and French documentation of everything the government publishes?). Lastly, they propose a tax hike on New Brunswick’s wealthiest 1%.

For the second year in power, Gallant would institute the Chretien formula used in the 1990s which saw the federal government balance the books and lead to consecutive surpluses. For those not in the know, the Chretien formula was an independent panel which sat down with the finance department and went over the books over and over until they found and cut all waste, cut unnecessary programs, and restricted the flow of cash into the necessary. It’s tightening the belt during the bad times, but preparing for the good. It worked for the country, it would likely work for the province if we stick to it. Gallant wants to use this method to save $250 million a year starting in year two of a Gallant Government.

Also following in Chretien’s footsteps, Gallant would put away $150 million each year as a contingency fund for unforeseen problems which would negatively impact the yearly debt. Most responsible governments already have this. New Brunswick used to have it but it was cut by Premier Alward.

Education is a crucial component to the platform. Like Dominic Cardy of the NDP, the Liberals are stressing the importance of literacy and skills training. The Liberals would bring back the adult literacy program which Alward cut, give a training tax credit to small buisnesses which give employees training incentives, and institute a nine month accelerated information communications technologies (ICT) program to fill certain emplyment gaps in NB.

Like the other platforms, there is some fluffy stuff that won’t actually come to fruition. Quebec has been demanding more control over immigration for decades. Gallant promises to get together with the other Atlantic provinces and to work with the federal government on getting more control over immigration for Atlantic Canada. The federal government has constitutional jurisdiction over immigration and has historically not given it up. So this sounds like an empty promise that sounds good on paper. Another component of this is better recognition of professional credentials from other parts of the country (and the world) to get foreign workers into NB to fill employment requirements that New Brunswickers are currently failing to fill.

For more details please see the platform for yourself. The $900 million on infrastructure is still in there…

http://nbliberal.ca/web/2014LiberalPlatform/nbla_eng_flipbook/nbla_eng_flipbook/index.html#p=4

The Ugly Side of Politics

We had written a blog post about what was perceived to be a personal attack by a party worker on a political opponent’s personal life. The post was by far the most read post on our humble little blog. We were attacked for writing it but we agreed that it was an important piece that should remain open. The only reason we have taken it down was because someone representing the attacked asked for it to be removed and for dialogue on the subject to end. Though we still believe the offender and his party should be held accountable for the offence, we believe in the attacked person’s privacy is paramount.

We three humble writers who have a genuine love for political discourse hope that this finds it’s way back to the offender and that he will feel the same way. End the perceived attack and close the dialogue. It is neither constructive nor relevant to the election. We urge that you allow the man and his family their dignity.

Thank you readers.

May Lends her Voice to Coon

The beginning of the 2014 New Brunswick Election saw the local leaders overshadowed by national notoriety of Gallant supporter Justin Trudeau. Trudeau swept into New Brunswick and travelled with Gallant to several cities and townships. He co-hosted a widely attended Liberal rally in downtown Fredericton. Together, the two Liberal leaders rode on the Big Red Bus and released videos to social media.

Now another popular leader from Ottawa joins the New Brunswick show. Elizabeth May, leader of the federal Green Party will be in Fredericton on September 14th with David Coon (provincial Green leader) at iRock Bar. Go Green! is an open event, a meet and greet with the two Green leaders as well as a handful of Green provincial candidates. May will be drumming up as much support as she can for Coon who is currently projected to win no seats but has brought up the popularity of the party. May is a considerable figure herself; the first Green MP in Canada, she has brought a former NDP MP across the floor to join her ranks, she has seen Green Party donations increase significantly, and is a very popular national figure.

Will her presence during the campaign season change anything for the provincial branch of the tree-hugging party? Undoubtedly. Will it be enough to help land some Greens seats in the legislature? That is to be determined.

https://www.facebook.com/events/272747336269049/

Gagetown-Petitcodiac

Four Progressive Conservative ridings and one swing riding squeezed into a single seat. Gagetown-Petitcodiac is comprised of Petitcodiac, Grand Lake-Gegtown, Oromocto, Sussex-Fundy-St Martins, and Hampton Kings. Four of those ridings saw the PC MLAs defeat second place contenders by more than 2000 votes in 2010. Many of those ridings have never seen an MLA other than a tory in recent memory.

The lucky PC to have the nomination for this new super-riding is Ross Wetmore. He is the incumbent from defunct Grand Lake-Gagetown and member of the Standing Committee on Crown Corporations and the Standing Committee of Legislative Officers. Wetmore is an accomlished buisnessman who owns grocers, wholesalers, a marina, and restaurants. If Wetmore doesn’t win this riding by a landslide, it’ll be an embarassment to him and the party.

Barak Stevens is also a successful buisnessman of more than 35 years. He is running under the red banner of the Liberal Party. Stevens is a director of the Mill Cove Nursing Home and a member of the New Brunswick Tappers and Fur Harvesters Association. Based on polling and the results from the five defunct ridings that make up Gagetown-Petitcodiac; Liberal Stevens has the best chance of overcoming the Tory stronghold, but it’s unlikely.

The NDP come to Gagetown-Petitcodiac with self-described activist Anthony Crandall; an employee of the NDP and former Tim Horton’s barrista. Crandall runs an even more difficult gauntlet than Stevens; in four of the five ridings, the NDP came in third place repeatedly, election after election. In Grand Lake-Gagetown, the NDP came in fourth place (2010) to People’s Alliance candidate Kris Austin.

The Greens enter Fred Harrison, renowned Canadian artist. Harrison came to New Brunswick in 2006 when the town of Sussex commissioned him to paint two murals. Harrison loved it so much that he decided to stay in New Brunswick.

New Maryland-Sudbury Showdown

When this riding first took shape at the 1995 election, it was a landslide victory for the Liberal Party. The Liberals came in first place here with 3719 votes to the runnerup’s 1873. The runnerup that year? The no longer existant Confederation of Regions. The PCs came in third with 1759. A lot has changed since 1995. Since 1999, with Keith Ashfield’s victory, New Maryland-Sudbury has been securely conservative. Ashfield ran for re-election twice, each time soundly crushing all opponents. Ashfield eventually gave up his seat in the NB legislature to go on to Ottawa as Member of Parliament for Fredericton but left the MLA spot in the hands of fellow PC Jack Carr.

Jack Carr thoroughly beat his Liberal opponent in 2010; 4097 to 1502. During the Ashfield/Carr era, the NDP have been locked in third place and seemingly unable to crack 1000 ballots of support (they tend to garner only a few hundred votes here). 2010 was the first time the riding had the option of voting Green, but only 291 residents decided to take up that offer.

1995 is a distant memory indeed. But this year, the riding will not be defended by the reigning Carr, but rather his younger brother Jeff Carr. Jeff was an assistant to brother Jody Carr, another MLA and minister under David Alward. The Carr name is a staple in Fredericton, but this would be Jeff’s first time serving firsthand.

The Liberal challenger, oddly enough, is Mike Pearson. No relation to Mike Pearson, the late prime minister. If voters have supported the Carrs in the past for their family connection to the military, they’ll love Pearson. Pearson was, before retirement, the Commander at Base Gagetown. He was also a Brigadier General stationed in the Middle East as a foreign diplomat. He won numerous medals for his Middle Eastern service including the United States Legion of Merit and the Canadian Meritorious Service Cross. As Commander at Base Gagetown, Pearson has worked firsthand with the provincial and municipal governments. Folks on the left and right can love this candidate.

The New Democrats hope to break free of their third place curse in New Maryland-Sudbury by presenting one of thteir best candidates; Aimee Foreman. Foreman has degrees from the University of New Brunswick and Sir Wilfrid Laurier University. She has worked tirelessly for various at-risk youth and youth-in-transition programs across the province. She operates her own consulting firm, a wildly successful firm at that.

The Greens are running Kelsey Adams, an accounting and payroll student at Eastern College.

It’s difficult to imagine anyone breaking the Tory stranglehold on this riding. Even with Premier David Alward’s plummeting approval rating, the ever-rising unemployment, and cuts to esssential services; this is the Tories’ backyard.

Shediac Bay-Dieppe

One of the new super-ridings from the 2013 redistribution which includes former ridings; Shediac-Beaubassin-Cap-Pele, Memramcook-Lakeville-Dieppe, Dieppe, and part of Kent South. Two of those ridings were Liberal strongholds where no other party had a hope in hell. Another was a swing riding which would go back and forth between Grits and Tories. Meanwhile, the chunk they took from Kent South was solid blue for the PCs.

When the numbers are added up, it looks favourable for the Liberal candidate in this riding, who happens to be the leader himself. Brian Gallant is running in what could be a very safe riding indeed. Gallant has three university degrees (buisness and law). He supported himself through law school by starting and operating two small buisnesses. He went on to become a partner at Veritas Law in Dieppe where he worked on immigration law, corporate law, and commercial law. He has been leader of the Liberal Party since 2012.

The other parties haven’t really offered up any exceptional challengers to the Liberal leader. Probably the most interesting of opponents comes from the NDP; Agathe Lapointe. Lapointe has a masters degree in planning and has worked for the Department of Indian Affairs, and has volunteered for the United Nations. However, the flipside of this is that she has spent decades away from not only the province; but from Canada.

Strangely, the Green candidate, Stphanie Matthews, is as far from typical of a Green as I have seen in this election. She left the province for ten years to work in the financial sector of Alberta; allegedly the biggest environmental abuser in the country. There is nothing online that would suggest she spent her time in Alberta fighting tar sands, pipelines, or fracking. However, upon returning to New Brunswick she has taken up permaculture and beekeeping.

PC Delores Poirer is a community event organizer and former convenience store operator.

Read back to a post we wrote earlier about female representation in politics. We discussed how political parties will flush female candidates into no-win scenarios just to say they nominated women. Whenever you see this many women running in a riding you know who the parties expect to win. It’s a sad practice, but the truth is that most men don’t want to risk their political future on running a mediocre campaign against a sure-thing.

NDP Launch the 2014 Platform

No more handouts. No more bail outs. No more tax cuts. That is, if you are wealthy, a corporation, or a friend of the government. The NDP start their platform with a promise to end corporate welfare and start generating a little revenue to battle the highest public debt in this province’s history.

Who will get a tax cut? Job creators. If you are able to create jobs for New Brunswickers, you get rewarded. The plan is based off a proven American model in which 6 of the 10 states with the lowest unemployment use a similair cut break. This specific maneuver alone is estimated by experts in the field to create between 15,000 and 20,000 new jobs in just the first four years.

The party also has a totally original plan to work closely with municipalities and non-governmental organizations to foster entrepreneurship while providing the tools, resources, and even the space to grow new locally-driven buisness. The program is called Community White Spaces Program and would work in conjunction with a Co-Operative Associations Act. It’s inventive, creative, and the first of it’s kind. Whether or not it can work is pure speculation.

If you have spent time in Saint John over the past few summers, you know tourism can be a major source of revenue for any community. This year, Saint John has failed to generate the same kind of revenue via cruiseships and tourism and the economy has been hit hard because of it. The NDP have a plan to use tourism as an economic driver for the entire province. They want to build a Tourism Marketing Fund- by taxing hotels (which see no profit from cuiselines, day travellers, or layover tourism) and give local stakeholders control over the program’s funds. Another aspect of their tourism campaign is allowing for more signage along the New Brunswick highways.

They promise to cut government waste, reduce cabinet from 17 to 10 members, scrap the vehicle allowance (which gives ministers money to purchase new cars), and get the books balanced by 2018 (an election year).

The New NDP will put proportional representation front and centre in demcratic reform. It can not be stressed enough why this is a great measure. It saves millions of dollars, gives us a government that is more reflective of the electorate, and produces better legislation.

They want to end the practice of corporate and union donations to political parties and drastically reduce the amount an individual may donate. And they want to reduce the voting age to 16 for provincial and municipal elections.

The platform is quite long and very detailed. Please read it here:

Click to access 2014-NDP-PLATFORM-EN.pdf

The Green Platform has Arrived

Sustainability, sustainability, sustainability! Sustainable energy, sustainable industry, and sustainable sources of food. If there is one thing to take away from this freshly released platform, it is that David Coon believes New Brunswick has been living and (barely) working fashion that just isn’t sustainable anymore. Everything from the way we clearcut forrests to how we produce energy and how we import food; it just isn’t a long term plan.

But that’s not all! Coon asserts that he would put in place certain failsafes to ensure transparency, honesty, and make for a better democracy. The Green Party under Coon would put a cap on the amount of media by corporations which have a vested interest in the province. Have you ever wondered why you never read about an Irving mishap in a New Brunswick newspaper? Coon would also prevent politicians from leaving public life and going directly into lobbying; a clear sign of a corrupt or “bought” politician. He also wants all government contracts to become public; this could possibly end patronage and give New Brunswickers assurance that they really got the best deal, everytime.

Coon and a Green government would pursue proportional representation. For those of you who don’t know what that is; it’s simple! The voting system we have now makes for 49 seperate sub-elections as part of the general election in which the party with the most votes could potentially win every seat in the house even though they have less than half the support of the province. Proportional representation makes it so that at the end of a single election, if the Greens have 10% of the popular vote they would be assigned 10% of the available seats in the legislature. This would save the government millions of dollars per election, decrease voter apathy, increase democracy, and force parties to work together rather than bicker, fight, and remain in “contant election mode”.

The Greens also propose taking money and power away from the Premier’s Office and dispersing it among the Legislative Assembly; a very Canadian idea. They would also give more protections to government whistle blowers who witness crime or corruption within government.

They would create thousands, possibly tens of thousands of jobs by updating New Brunswick’s dated energy infrastructure. It would be done over time, via co-operation between private and public industry, as the province could afford. It would lower the cost of electricity in all NB homes while giving us more energy to sell at profit to our neighbours South of the boarder.

Another major platform point is the focus on regrowing New Brunswick farms. Giving more tax protections to farmers, ensuring their product is sold first and foremost across New Brunswick, and finding new ways to produce crops not commonly grown in NB. This plan also includes using NB agriculture to provide more competitive prices for NB buisness (restaurants, grocery stores, etc) and providing better nutrition to all citizens.

In defiance of David Alward’s Say Yes campaign, Coon says No to Shale Gas. He would ban fracking (as Nova Scotia is trying to do, and as has Germany already done).

The costed platform is available on their party website and will be provided here.

Click to access PlatformGreenParty2014-E.pdf

Moncton Northwest

The riding belonged to PC John Betts by a more than safe margin. But with Betts not running for re-election this year, it could be anyones for the taking.

Taking over for Betts is PC Ernie Steeves. Steeves will try to match Betts’ 2010 victory when the PC beat the Liberals by 1628 votes in the riding. Steeves is heavily involved with the Baptist Church in Moncton and is a popular radio personality.

Liberal Brian Hicks is moving against this year’s Liberal grain. Hicks wants to snatch the seat in the legislature to ensure New Brunswick starts living within its means. He has remained staunchly silent on Gallant’s $900 million idea to build and improve infrastructure.

New Democrat Jason Purdy is a father of two, a former Director of Immigrant Labour at the New Brunswick Multicultural Council, and a current District Sales Manager at ADT. He believes in Dominic Cardy’s plan for New Brunswick.

Green Party alumni Mike Milligan is a bicycle buisness owner in Moncton and former interim leader of the NB Green Party. He ran in the defunct riding of Moncton Crescent in 2010 and won 729 ballots to Betts’ 4168. Let’s hope Milligan can pedal uphill because it’s an uphill battle for him.

Carl Bainbridge for the People’s Alliance is an autism activist. He is a father of three children, two of whom have autism. Getting better services for people dealing with autism is a major priority for Bainbridge; but not part of the PANB platform. There was no PANB candidate in this area last election and thusly, no numbers to crunch. But perhaps Bainbridge might enjoy lifting a few of the excess right-wing votes from Steeves this go around.

!FRAUD!

Or more appropiately, two allegations of fraud have been charged against Carleton-Victoria candidate Andrew Harvey, his brother, and their father, the former Liberal MLA B. Fred Harvey. The RCMP allege that the family has defrauded the New Brunswick government of more than $5000. This turn of events has turned the Liberal campaign on its head.

Liberal leader Brian Gallant has said of the events that he was disappointed Harvey didn’t disclose this to him or the Liberal team. Gallant made the decision to temporarily suspend Harvey from the Liberal caucus until after the court hearing in hopes that Harvey will be found innocent. If he is not, then Harvey will be suspended indefinitely.

The Progressive Party wasted no time in attacking the Liberals and their leader while avoiding any direct chastizing of the Harvey family. David Alward has said to the CBC that Gallant’s decision will reflect his leadership, but chose not to condemn Harvey himself. He also said that the vetting process to become a PC candidate is strenuous and includes criminal background checks. PC candidate for Carleton-Victoria, Colin Lockhart said that he knows Harvey and hopes that all of this will pass for him and the family.

Carleton-Victoria is also being contested by NDP candidate Joe Gee, who said that this doesn’t change what the election is about and that he will continue to push ahead.

More to come on the riding and updates on the status of Harvey’s candidacy.

Fredericton-Grand Lake

It’s a brand new riding that reaches across part of Fredericton, Noonan, Barker’s Point, Marysville, Maugerville, and of course Grand Lake. This new district is the result of a merger between two ridings which both had incumbent PC MLAs; Pam Lynch and Ross Wetmore. Pam Lynch is the PC who will run for re-election in the newly minted riding. Lynch defeated Kelly Lamrock in 2010 to attain her seat.

Though Lynch has never been given a cabinet position, she is on several committees including the Standing Committee on Law Amendments. She was, prior to politics, the owner and operator of her own legal services office. Despite her success before getting into politics and the efforts she has made on the committees she is involved with, Pam Lynch has been criticized by citizens on both the left and right of the political spectrum. The Campaign Life Coalition for example, gives Lynch a yellow light for her indifference on abortion. The CLC decides whether or not its members may support a candidate based on their stance on the hot button issue; Lynch hasn’t taken a stance (even during the closing of the Morgentaler Clinic in Fredericton).

Sheri Shannon, of the NB Liberal Party, is a former Executive Assistant to former Premier Shawn Graham. Despite having such a high profile job on her resume, the name association might actually hinder more than help her.

The New Democrats’ Bronwen Mosher is an exciting twist to the race. She’s incredibly intelligent, friendly, and involved. She has been tracking the billions of dollars in debt that New Brunswick has racked up under consecutive Liberal and PC governments. She has a major focus on debt reduction, which New Brunswick has never needed more than it does right now. She also produced a film on multiculturalism in Fredericton by focusing on the local Patel family and how their small buisness (in samosas) has forever changed the Fredericton Farmers’ Market. Should Mosher not win this year, she’s one to watch.

Dan Weston tries to get the seat for the Green Party. Dan of course is a major player in the Fredericton Anti-Poverty Organization and has been heralded for his contributions to raising awareness and ending poverty in the capital region. As a founding member, Weston has fought for years in changing the way homeless people are treated and has been interviewed a great many times about panhandlers, soup kitchens, and fresh ideas to help the hopeless.

At the far end of the spectrum enters Kris Austin. A former pastor who turned from spiritual endeavors to economic ones, Austin is a buisness owner and Deputy Mayor in Minto. He is also the leader of the People’s Alliance of New Brunswick. Though the party has a few left-of-centre policies, Austin leads the far-right party towards the brink of Tea Party-Conservatism. Given that this riding has so solid a right-wing base, Austin may have a chance to garner more than the 100-400 votes his party won on average last election year.

Saint John East

Once upon a time, a long time ago, unions in the city of Saint John were powerful and the New Democrats could push the Progressive Conservatives back to third place. In 2003 for example, Ralph Thomas (NDP) came in second place in the now defunct East riding of Saint John Champlain. Thomas managed to collect 29% of the popular vote. The redistribution hurt the NDP, but in 2010, Sandy Harding (NDP) won a 23% in Saint John East. But another redrawing of the electoral map in 2013 altered the riding again, forfeiting the Northern half to Portland-Simonds but absorbing a chunk of now defunct Saint John Fundy. The latest redraw should make it impossible for a third party to ever again play a major role; it’s strictly Liberal v. PC in Saint John East now. But that isn’t stopping the parties from trying!

Let’s begin with the long shots. The People’s Alliance offers up Jason Inness. Inness is a founding member of the PANB and a key policy advisor to party leader Kris Austin. Of the 49 ridings, PANB has thus far only placed 18 challengers on the board. Does Inness feel Saint John East is his best chance? He has worked on many campaigns as a disciple of Bernard Lord when he was a PC supporter. With the concentratioin of PC voters in the redraw, it is plausible that Inness is trying to steal the far-right PC vote away from the PC incumbent.

Sharon Murphy of the Green Party has a history of social justice. She is the founder of Peace-NB, an organization for the ethical treatment of senior citizens. She is a past director for other groups including the Conservation Council and Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice. But she has a difficult fight ahead of her. In 2010 the Greens only won 309 ballots in Saint John East.

Trying to relight the old Saint John East fire for the NDP is Phil Comeau. A distinguished paramedic who can say that he has won a Governor General’s award for Exemplary Service. He is on the Paramedics Association board of directors and was one of the people who campaigned for Advanced Care Paramedics to practice in the province. Naturally, Comeau is interested in New Brunswick’s healthcare system and how it must be improved to meet the province’s needs.

The main event. The center ring. Liberal Gary Keating takes on PC incumbent Glen Savoie. Keating has the privilege of being a well-loved high school principal who has educated early every East sider for the past 28 years. The sheer number of voters to have come under Keating’s tutelage is innumerable. Savoie is counting on his buisness contacts and the aging population of the lower East side to overcome the principal’s student nation.

Savoie is secretary to the Minister on Economic Development and is responsible for business development. As such, he is positioned to benefit from deep pockets from grateful entrepreneurs. So we have it, the classic battle of money versus people. Will the warchest of the PC defeat the people campaign of Gary Keating?

With Friends Like These…

Who needs to campaign when you have political celebrities dropping in for a photo op? Brian Gallant has some major star power to lean on during what has otherwise been called a rocky start to the campaign. The polls are showing Gallant is in a most comfortable lead over David Alward, but that the margin has narrowed slightly (according to Corporate Research Associates). Most notably, popular federal leader Justin Trudeau spent a good deal of time with Gallant for photo ops and speaking engagements, as well as taking part in an ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Former Prime Minister Paul Martin also stopped in for a shot with former Saint John MP Paul Zed and Gallant.

Despite the star power and the Big Red Bus, critics have noted that Gallant’s campaign got off to a difficult start. Michael Camp, a profession of journalism and public policy at St Thomas University said that Gallant’s campaign has had difficulty in articulating a message. Plagued by gaffes and miscommunications, Gallant has appeared uninformed, unprepared, and unrealistic.

Gallant has been attacked on all sides for his big spending plans and his quickness to simply borrow the funds to do so. Gallant also used dated information to attack the Alward government, a foley for two reasons; the point he made in his attack was a decision made by NB Liquor, not the government, and secondly because NB Liquor had already overturned the decision weeks before Gallant attacked it.

The Alward campaign hasn’t exactly been off to a jetting start either. With the slogan, “Say Yes”, the electcion is for Alward, a referendum on shale gas. In effect, he is asking New Brunswickers to say yes to shale gas and end the years long protest which has seen banners, t-shirts, bumper stickers, and window signs proposing to “Say No to Shale Gas”. Further adding to the difficulty of the Alward campaign, no political guest appearances have been made as of yet. Nor would it be likely to help, New Brunswickers are becoming increasingly opposed to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party.

The only other party, in fact, to receive “celebrity” star power is David Coon’s Green Party of New Brunswick. Fredericton played host to the Green Party convention and the myriad of guests including federal party leader Elizabeth May, deputy leader Bruce Hyer, and others.

Kent North and Kent South

It’s a full house in both Kent ridings! The highly contested ridings will see members of all 5 parties battle it out for two seats. The earliest sign of an interestig showdown came during the 2013 redrawing of the electoral map when Kent merged with Kent South and set two incumbents against one another; PC Claude Williams and Liberal leader Brian Gallant.

Gallant’s biggest criticism at that time was that his youth and inexperience was just too big a problem to ignore for the leader of the then-crippled party. Adversely, Williams is a seasoned statesman having held cabinet positions including Minister of Education and Minister of Transportation. Needless to say, Gallant abandoned the high-risk fight and moved his candidacy to Shediac Bay-Dieppe.

Now Williams finds himself in a five person battle royale against Benoit Bourque (L), Paul Musgrave (NDP), Tina Beers (G), and Joel MacIntosh (PANB). Bourque has spent much of his adult life working in the international sector and has jet set to nearly thirty countries. How important is international relations at the provincial level? Bourque believes it is totally invaluable. Musgrave comes to NB from British Columbia where he ran for office under the BCGreen banner. Beers is actually one of the NB Green’s most interesting candidates; the wife of a retired soldier (she has been all over the world as her husband has been stationed and restationed), she is Chair of the Local Service District of Harcourt, a Community Coordinator for United Way, President of the Kent Community Inclusion Network, and is a founding member of the Kent Food Security Network. MacIntosh is a volunteer firefighter and also member of several community organizations.

The returns from the last election in Kent South (and Kent), in conjuction with the latest polling numbers would indicate a two way race here between Williams and Bourque. But the community participation and personal popularity of both the Green and PANB candidates should be considered. This year may see a sudden increase in ballots for at least the Green Party in Kent South.

Kent North, another pile up of candidates will see Liberal incumbent Bertrand LeBlanc defending against Nancy Blanchard (PC), Allan Marsh (NDP), Rebeka Frazer-Chiasson (G), and Josie Rivard (PANB). Rivard wants to “take back our democracy” with a combination of free votes and fiscal conservatism. Frazer-Chiasson, like all Greens this year is very concerned about and involved with food sovereignty. She is a member of the National Farmers Union and sits on the board of directors of the Conservation Council NB. Marsh is a hobby farmer, Chairman of the Local Service District, involved with Tri-County Search and Rescue, and Our Environmen, Our Choice. Most interestingly, Marsh was one of the demonstrators at the Rexton Anti-Shale Gas Protest in 2013. Marsh was credited for his level-headedness during the events and gave many interviews to the press, elaborating on the fears and concerns of those involved. Blanchard, the PC, is a successful buisness manager and local singer who feels the collective voice of Kent North hasn’t been heard by MLA LeBlanc. Kent North has some very right wing views and this may give the PANB an edge to steal some support from Blanchard’s PC base, giving LeBlanc an edge over the Right. But Marsh and Frazer-Chiasson are both strong Leftist candidates as well. Kent North could very well be an interesting riding to watch.

The NDP Video Campaign

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9rRSqdUl1eiz-BJ0zx7CA/videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxPo4OvbYmc

Dominic Cardy on honesty and accountability from our political leaders

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Nov 29, 2013

NBNDP

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When Senator John F Kennedy ran against Vice President Richard Nixon for the presidency, one major change in the format of campaigning was the advent of television. The major advantage that Kennedy had over the more experienced Nixon was his cool, handsome, confident demeanor on television sets across the United States. Nixon, on the other hand was sweaty, nervous, agitated. When Americans were asked who won the debates; those who watched on television answered Kennedy while those who listened on the radio answered Nixon.

Flash forward to the 21st century. Television is nearly obsolete. The internet is the primary source of news, communication, and just about anything else in creation. Social media could tilt any campaign in a direction not imagined in the past. Nobody knows this better than New Brunswick’s New Democrats. Or the “new New Democrats” as their campaign proudly states. Drawing upon the allusion to the 1960 Presidention Election, Premier David Alward might play the part of draconian Nixon; unable to connect with voters through new outlets. Seemingly, it would be Dominic Cardy playing the part of Kennedy for having mastered the art of new campaigning. Cardy and his NDP have reached out across social media outlets suchas Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube in fun, creative, youthful, ways while staying informative and maintaining a sense of professionalism.

It started with the pre-campaign “just for fun” videos which featured a woman representing NB voters trying to upgrade a cellphone. She is offered the “GritPhone 5” by a Brian Gallant doppelganger. He tells her that she’ll love the new features but has to first buy the phone to discover what any of the features are. She declines the obviously bad choice and leaves the store. The video is fun, well produced, and puts into plain focus what New Brunswick has done in elections past.

Dominic Cardy was the first NB leader to take part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. In a playful way, poking fun at the “more seriously serious” disposition of unnamed New Brunswick politicians; Cardy took the plunge and raised some money for a worthy cause. He challenged other leaders to follow his lead- and they did.

One of the most surprising videos released was the Kelly Lamrock film noir video announcing his heroic return to politics to thwart the dastardly premier. If you ever thought that politicians take themselves too seriously, you really must watch this video.

Other, more serious videos have been hitting the web on an almost daily basis. Clips of Dominic Cardy addressing voters on his intentions should he be handed the reigns of power, or Tony Sekulich explaining why he decided to return to Saint John and run for Portland-Simonds. Other candidates have candid videos where they explain what matters to them and how they want to help you.

In a province where local politics are often eclipsed by any other “news” across the nation, social media becomes increasingly important. Last night, watching the national news broadcasts on three major networks, the New Brunswick Election was not mentioned once. What was mentioned was nude photos of celebrities, gun violence in America, and the state of things in the Ukraine. I applaud Mr Cardy and his team for keeping information accessible and current.

Some Safe, Predictable Northern Ridings

In some ridings it is easy to see how many voters can become jaded. If you live in a riding that has voted for the same party since your father was in high school, you might wonder if there is any point in voting for the opposition. Restigouche-Chaleur is one such riding. Liberal since 1978; Restigouche-Chaleur is a pretty safe bet if you are a gambling man (or woman). Roland Hache has held the riding since 1999 for the Liberal Party. In the last election, Hache defeated the PC challenger by almost 1000 ballots. The election before that he beat the PC by nearly 2000. The NDP and Greens came in a distant third and fourth. The People’s Alliance are not in the running this year, nor have they ever ran a candidate in Restigouche-Chaleur. This year sees the end of Hache’s reign as he retires and makes way for Liberal Daniel Guitard.

Caraquet surprised the pollsters once in 2001 with a by-election. In that by-election, a PC defeated the Liberal and ended the Red Streak. But that only lasted until the 2003 election when the Liberals rebounded and took back Caraquet. In 2006, the Grits defeated the Tories by nearly 3000 votes here! Considering how hard Caraquet has been hit economically under Premier Alward’s stewardship, don’t expect another surprise in this Red Ridinghood.

A Tory blue riding that will likely not change is Shippagan-Lameque-Miscou. Paul Robichaud is the imcumbent PC running for re-election. In his last two elections, Robichaud deafeated Liberal challangers by 1500 and 1900 votes respectively.Robichaud is currently the Deputy Premier and has held nearly every cabinet position imaginable. Though the Liberals are expected (at moment) to take 44 of the 49 seats in the legislature; this may be one of the few untouchables for Brian Gallant. It is also being contested by the NDP and the Greens.

Tracadie-Sheila

The riding has been painted blue since its inception in 1995. Tracadie-Sheila is a pretty safe place for the Tories, despite being underappreciated by the party. Incumbent Claude Landry isn’t a minister and the riding hasn’t received any special attention for their loyalty. Despite the lack of recognition, the Tories smoke the Liberals in every election here by roughly 1000 ballots. In 2010 the Liberals came third with a disappointing 1480 to the Tories’ 3808 (NDP placed second with 2518).

Claude Landry has kept the riding safe for the Progressive Conservatives since he took over for Elvy Robichaud in 2006. Robichaud was a valued member of the party who held numerous cabinet posts and was quite frankly a brilliant politician. Landry however has provided much fewer reasons to vote PC. He certainly hasn’t improved the job situation for the riding, they require federal subsidization due to their relative isolation and poor economic performance. But like so many Canadians who stick by their favourite hockey team through thick and thin despite not having won the cup in decades; Tracadie-Sheila keeps giving their support to the blue team.

The Liberal challenger, Serge Rousselle is attempting to take the riding in what would be a shocking upset. His background is in political science and law, but wants to focus on economic development and turning the riding into a fiscally independent powerhouse.

The New Democrats also offer up a Rouselle. Note the different spelling of the name, I don’t believe the two are related. But wouldn’t it be exciting if they were? The NBNDP haven’t provided any information on their Francois Rouselle (lame duck candidate?), nor has the Elections Almanac, Telegraph Journal, or even Google. It’s odd that the NDP wouldn’t put more effort into bolstering their Rouselle, as they did come in second over the Liberals in this riding at last election.

The Campbellton-Dalhousie Dogfight

Not every riding in New Brunswick has more than one truly standout candidate; but Campbellton-Dalhousie has three! Though it is a newly-minted-merged-riding, there is only one incumbent fighting for it. Prior to the amalgamation, one half of the riding was represented by Liberal Don Arsenault and the other by Progressive Conservative Greg Davis. Davis is not seeking re-election in the riding so the PC nomination will move to Joe Elias.

Donald Arsenault has a shockingly impressive profile. Despite being one of the youngest members of the legislature he has served as critic of the Office of Human Resources and the Department of Intergovernmental and International Relations. He later served as critic of tourism in 2005. When his party formed government Donald was made Minister of Natural Resources. Then, when Kelly Lamrock upset the entire city of Saint John and the education sector; Arsenault was made Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training, and Labour (to clean up Lamrock’s mess). As far as education goes; Arsenault has a long series of degrees, certificates, and diplomas in the fields of buisness, finance, and economics. This guy is a force to be reckoned with.

Not to be outdone, the New Democrats offer up Jamie O’Rourke. O’Rourke comes from a very political family (his mother used to work in the department of finance and his father was a deputy minister in the 1980’s). O’Rourke received an education from NBCC in farming and economics. He then went on to study at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. O’Rourke also gives much of his time to a number of charitable causes including: Elementary Literacy Inc, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Community Inclusion Network, and many environmental committees and groups. O’Rourke is also credited with helping in the design and drafted of some key NDP policies.

The third of the sterling candidates is Progressive Conservative Joe Elias. He comes from a family with a successful business background (they ran the Elias Store for 40 years in Campbellton). He received an education from Polyvalente Roland Pepin, Dalhousie University, Universite de Moncton, and the University of Ottawa.

The Green Party is also running in the riding. Heather Wood, who has no profile on the Green Party site, Linked In, and has received virtually no coverage from any major media outlets, is the candidate. Sadly, it would appear that she is the Green Party’s “lame duck” candidate. She’s running just to drum up support in the region for the next election.

Latest Polls

Forum Research conducted a phone poll of more than 900 New Brunswickers on August 25th. The results show Brian Gallant and the Liberals to be at 46%, while David Alward and his Progressive Conservatives are lingering far behind at 31%. The New Democrats are at 15% and the Greens at 7&.

The PCs leaked their own polling numbers as well. The poll commissioned by the PCs was done by NRG and they surveyed over 1200 New Brunswickers. That poll put the Liberals at 26%-34% compared to the Tories’ 13%.

If the polls are at all accurate, this puts the Liberals in a position to sweep 44 of the 49 seats in the legislature this year. The Tories are still expected to fill the other few seats. These numbers are an especially bad sign for the third parties, who I honestly hope will win a few seats and bring some diversity to the legislature.

Portland-Simonds

In a bizarre riding that emcompasses Saint John’s North End, Millidgeville, and part of the East Side; Portland-Simonds is a smorgasbord of different aspects of the electorate. The riding has students, retirees, union workers, doctors, nurses, the impoverished, the working poor, the wealthy, and the middle class, French, and English. There are four candidates in the running as of this week.

The first is Trevor Holder, Progressive Conservative incumbent. Holder, though well liked in conservative circles and carrying an extensive political portfolio, has served as a lackluster minister. His first term in the legislature was as a backbencher who brought very little forth and maintained the party line. In his second term he was made Minister of Environment and Local Government; his stance of both the environment and local governance was laughable. Universally mocked, the department was broken up and Holder was left with only the responsibility of environment. At this time in Holder’s career, the PC government of Bernard Lord was defeated by the Liberal party. But when David Alward came to power in 2010, Holder was boosted back up to a minister as Minister of Wellness, Culture, and Sport. Though Holder hasn’t been as mocked in this position, a report came out yesterday (Aug 30th) from the World Health Organization and Health Canada which states New Brunswick as the most obese province in Canada and that obesity has reached devastating levels (63% of NB adults are obese and 36% of NB children are obese). So it is safe to say that Holder has failed in this position as well.

The second person to throw their name into the hat was Liberal Michael Butler. Butler is heavily involved in the field of education. He has been a teacher, school administrator, district supervisor, and superintendent. Butler is likely to sweep the education vote in the riding and is bolstered by Gallant’s high approval ratings. His intentions are to invest more in education and improve New Brunswick’s rather embarassing status as a “functioning illiterate state”. He has seen the benefits of a stronger education system and wants to implement that across the province. Hoping that a better educated populace could better benefit local business and drive the economy forward.

Thirdly, Sheila Croteau for the NB Greens. It would be impossible to find anything negative to say about Croteau. Croteau is a well respected member of her community, a life long volunteer of a dozen causes, and an Off-reserve Chief who promotes education. Friendly, courteous, kind, and empathetic; Croteau’s only fault is that she is in a riding that her party has little chance of breaking. The Greens had little chance of breaking ground here before it became Portland-Simonds; but now with so much of the East Side (and employees of Irving Oil Ltd.) there is even significantly less chance of doing well in the riding.

Finally, the New Democrats only recently nominated a candidate for the riding. The candidate, Tony Sekulich was parachuted in from Fredericton. He serves as the NBNDP’s director of communications. He is a writer and screen writer. A graduate of St. Thomas University, currently with a project in development with CTV. In my experience (I’ve met all the candidates a number of times), Tony is about the least personable and most unlikeable of the four. Although an interesting candidate, I think Sekulich will have a difficult time changing minds and connecting with the people of Portland-Simonds.

The Fall From Grace

When he swept to power in 2010, David Alward was incredibly popular, winning a majority. Well liked in the community from which he hailed, and respected province-wide; Alward has seemingly fallen from grace with New Brunswickers. His approval rating is among the lowest of premiers across the nation. Once Progressive Conservative strongholds are now leaning left towards the Liberal Party. But what caused this decline?

Unemployment is staggering in New Brunswick. The PC leader who criticized Shawn Graham’s unemployment rate of 8.8% has seen his own rate climb to as high as 10.4% (2013). The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has said that some of Alward’s policies inhibit small business growth. Small business owners in New Brunswick have critized Alward for favouring big buisness and standing by while watching big business enact sweeping lay offs. The Alward government has put into place laws and regulations which make it difficult, if not impossible for small businesses to compete with big corporate industry and as such prevents job creation and precludes competitive pricing for the consumer.

This year, Alward also made the difficult decision to cut funding to austism programs in the province. Autism rates are higher in New Brunswick than anywhere else in the country and early autism intervention is a crucial program here. Alward has received stark and deafening condemnation for this.

Alward has also upset the gay and lesbian community of the province when he decided to enforce a little-known law which prevented a high school from flying a gay pride flag on the premises. He has also resisted and refused invitations to partake in gay pride parades and events as premier.

The government has also upset unions and the Pension Coalition New Brunswick. Alward gave the go ahead to raise the retirement age of teachers while at the same time restricting their pension benefits. The New Brunswick Nurses Union has also accused Alward of making too many cuts to healthcare. In a statement released February 12th, the NBNU president said that these cuts are affecting nurses and directly affects patient safety and care.

It would appear that the citizens of New Brunswick would agree with the NBNU; complaints of wait times, lack of family doctors, accessibility to health care, and overall dissatisfaction have persisted throughout the Alward administration. Cupe has said that it is rural New Brunswick that has been most targeted by these cuts- Alward’s backyard.

The Canadian Association of University Teachers voiced national concern this year over Alward’s cool attitude towards post-secondary education. Despite the highest NB tax hikes since 1983, the government under Alward’s direction has frozen funding. The CAUT explained that this decision will impair New Brunswick’s ability to improve the provincial economy and encourages youth to seek education in other provinces.

Even the union responsible for highway snow removal has fired discontent at David Alward. Cupe Local 1190 received over 700 complaints this year. Everything from understaffing, overworking, and not having enough salt to properly ensure road safety. When these safety concerns went public, Alward permitted his minister of transportation and infrastructure, Claude Williams, to respond facetiously.

Senior care is another point of contention. One Moncton family is so upset that it has spent more than $7000 on distributing flyers in protest of Alward’s extreme cuts to senior care. The family came under investigation by Elections New Brunswick for their anti-Alward literature, but was later found not guilty of breaking any election law. The flyers notified other New Brunswickers that Alward has changed key rules in the eligibility of those who qualify for government paid care, and that despite being on dialysis and having dementia; the family is still paying a private institution for the matriarch’s medical care. If this isn’t a step towards Americanizing healthcare in New Brunswick!

The causes for Alward’s fall from grace go on like this with a seemingly endless array of complaints, cutbacks, and grievances. Yet, the man continues to run on the slogan, “Say Yes” and maintains the course set during his first term. Will he be able to turn public opinion around in time for a Hail Mary by September 22nd?

Gallant’s $900 Million Idea

New Brunswickers have been weary of giving too much power or influence to New Democrats; Canada’s resident socialist party. Neither at the provincial nor the federal level has NB sent many NDP politicians to the capital for the fear that their socialist spending will break the back of the people who sent them there. But an interesting thing is happening in NB this year; those scary socialists are scaling back spending plans and being extra critical of other parties’ spending plans.

The party with the biggest spending plan thus far is without a doubt the New Brunswick Liberals. Brian Gallant has fired off a few big ideas with hefty price tags but none have received more criticism than his $900 million infrastructure plan. Job creation has been at the forefront of the big three parties’ stump speeches. Under Progressive Conservative rule, the unemployment has climbed to the highest it has been in years and naturally, the Liberals want credit for getting New Brunswick working again. But Gallant’s pricey plan has the other leaders asking where the money will be coming from. The plan will employ an additional 1700 New Brunswickers annually, asserts Gallant, but he has thus far failed to explain where that money will come from.

Dominic Cardy of the NDP has stated that New Brunswick just can’t afford that type of fiscal commitment. Cardy has taken the NDP on a different course than it has been in recent years. Cardy receives inspiration from the more fiscally conservative leadership of former Labour leader and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Though job creation is a necessity, says Cardy, it must be done responsibly. Cardy has a number of smaller plans to create jobs which will purportedly cost less for the province. He also plans to end big corporate tax cuts and “corporate welfare” but instead offers a fair tax break for companies who provide substantial job creation.

Gallant needs to explain whether he plans to pay for this considerable expense by cutting funding elsewhere or raising taxes on an already strained electorate.

Girl Power, or lack of it

How many women are involved in politics? Women make up half the human population but you can count the number of female prime ministers on one hand (even if you count Great Britain’s females PMs as well). Canada just recently experienced a phenomenon that we may never see again; 5 female premiers at the same time! Sadly, New Brunswick has never benefitted from a woman in charge. If diversity is the spice of life, NB has been eating the same plate of mashed potatoes since 1867.

Women bring something different to leadership. Women see and interpret information differently than men. Women are also capable of being more empathetic to problems that the heterosexual white male is completely unaware of. In the Western world we are quick to point out the chauvinism of other cultures but even Pakistan has elected a woman prime minister. So in reality, we are (New Brunswick) quite behind Pakistan in this regard.

It’s an embarassing practice, but many political parties will strategically place female candidates in ridings where the party has little chance of winning. This way, the party can assert an attempt at bringing more women to the forefront of politics and power without losing any good men. Part of the reason behind this is that men are more reluctant to run in a risky riding; leaving it open for the party to put a woman or other minority candidate there.

So my co-writers and I (admittedly all men) decided to take a look at how many women are running this year in New Brunswick. Of the new 49 ridings, there are currently 62 women running. Between 5 parties, stretched out over 49 ridings, with a potential of 245 candidates (not including indenpents) there are only 62 females in the running.

We broke down the parties by their female representation. The Green Party scored highest with 18 out of 49 possible ridings. The Liberals scored second highest with 14/49. The Progressive Conservatives proved how progressive they are with 13/49 female candidates. The New Democrats currently have 12/49 spots occupied by women. And coming in last place with an absolutely dismal 5/49 candidates is the People’s Alliance of New Brunswick Party. Now, even though the Green Party scored highest, it is important to note that they still nominated less than half of their candidates as women. So again, 50% of the population still adds up to less than 50% power share.

The parties all sill have some time to nominate some more female candidates but at this late in the game, they would have more disadvantages to deal with. They would have less time to get their names out there, put up signage, and with early voting already begun; it’s already too late to change some voters’ minds.

The debate is back on!

It was never really off, but the current sitting premier was going to dismiss the chance to partake. Last week, Premier Alward stormed out of the CBC planning session when it was announced that both David Coon (leader of the NB Green Party) and Kris Austin (leader of the People’s Alliance of New Brunswick Party) were invited to add their respective voices during the televised leaders’ debate.

PC president Jason Stephen said that Alward is now “looking forward to a fair and fulsome debate”.

Liberal leader Brian Gallant was an early champion for Coon’s inclusion. Twice has Gallant voiced support for the leader of the fringe party to be included in the campaign. When Gallant (alongside Federal Liberal leader Justin Trudeau) uploaded a video for the ALS “ice bucket challenge”, he challenged Coon to be the next to take the cold shower for charity.

Austin of the PANB said that Alwatd’s earlier actions were “childish” and that Alward wasn’t able to argue with the PANB’s “common sense”.

What’s happening in Rothesay

It is one of the wealthiest ridings in the province. It has been Progressive Conservative since Margaret-Ann Blaney won the riding in 1999. However, there is a turning of the political tide in Rothesay.

Since the Blaney patronage fiasco, the PCs have been slipping in popularity. When Blaney exited her seat shortly after the 2010 election to accept a post handed to her by buddy David Alward, a by-election was called. In a surprise move by the New Democrats; leader Dominic Cardy announced his candidacy in the once firmly right-of-centre riding. The riding was also challenged by a Green, Liberal, and an independent.

No one expected to see such a close threeway race in Rothesay. The riding that once churned out 2800-3000+ votes for the party, barely broke 1600 in that by-election. The Liberal candidate came short by only 300 votes and even the NDP (who were never successful in Rothesay) were only 550 votes behind the PC.

Now that the PC approval ratings have been freefall across the province, and considering Hugh Flemmings III’s less than stellar showing in 2012; many are speculating a change of the guard in Rothesay. Former Saint John MP Paul Zed posted to his Instagram a photo of Liberal candidate Stephanie Tomilson with the caption, “Watch for the riding to change on election night. Positive change coming.”

Interestingly, the Liberal candidate from the 2012 by-election, John Wilcox will be this year’s NDP candidate.

The People’s Platform

For better or for worse; here is the Peoples Alliance Platform. It’s very detailed. It’s well articulated. But with the PANB promise to not hold any member to a vote does any of it matter? The one constant since the previous election has been the guarantee that if elected, the PANB would not use a party whip nor would they force any member of their party to vote in favour of party policy over the desires of the member’s electorate. So, in reality, either this platform is totally meaningless or Kris Austin was lying about “free voting and democracy”. I for one actually like knowing that if I vote for a member of a party, I’ll get the party platform or policy. Isn’t that the point of party politics?

Well, as I said, highly detailed. This platform is 35 pages in length. I’ll highlight the key points for you as well as leave a link directly to the platform.

Click to access 2014-PANB-Platform.pdf

1. Audit all corporate subsidy programs

2. Eliminate small business tax

3. Merge some crown corporations (Efficiency NB and NB Power, etc)

4. Support the Energy East Pipeline

5. Privatize the retail side of NB Liquor

6. Change vehicle registration to a two year program rather than an annual program

7. Create a non-partisan Education Policy Review Program

8. Allow teachers to teach as they see fit. End standardized teaching formats

9. End the practice of social passing. If students need to be held back, they will be held back

10. Bring more healthcare and mental healthcare into the schools

11. Freeze university tuition while having government subsidize rising tuition costs

I have to stop for a moment. As we read through this platform I am quickly realizing just how far right wing this party is. The PANB really does make David Alward’s Conservatives look progressive. If you read the section on post secondary education you’ll see that the government would work with the universities to make it more difficult for students who “aren’t ready” for university to get enrolled. They also want to force the universities to work “closer together” under the watchful eye of government.

Language freedom is a term that gets thrown around a lot in this platform. The PANB would end quotas on government hiring of French speaking New Brunswickers, allow business to decide whether of not to use French (a right that private business already owns- so why express it so ardently?), review the usefullness of French immersion in public schools, require fewer law enforcement officers to be fluent French… Is this “language freedom” or an attack on the French language?

12. Create a property owner’s bill of rights

13. Benefit from shale gas production

14. Expand potash production

15. Enact recall legislation for the public to recall an MLA

16. Reduce the size of government

17. Reduce MLA pensions and salaries

18. Be more transparent on MLA attendance and spending

There is a detailed explanation for each point as well as a cost projection. Though some points sound good, many feel overreaching and overbearing. Selling off portions of crown corporations while exercising more control over other private industries (farming and post sedonary education) does not make much sense. Other points seem purposely deceitful or midleading. The ability to recall an MLA or launch a referendum may seem favourable to the naive politico, but the fine print to those points indicate a huge portion of the province would have to be in favour (good luck getting both urban and rural New Brunswick to agree to finite detail and opinion). Those seem like promises to dangle in front of a frustrated and disenfranchised populace while bringing them no closer to actually having the ability to do so.

Read the platform for yourself. Consider each point carefully. Then remind yourself that this party has less than 1% support province-wide.

More platforms to come.

Moncton Southwest

This new district could go red or blue, but is leaning blue currently. It’s made up of pieces of four former Moncton and Petitcodiac ridings. All five parties are represented in this district, but the numbers are not kind for the orange, green, nor purple banners.

I can not help but find it strange to find a People’s Alliance candidate running for this seat after reading on the PAND facebook page about the waste of money that bilingualism has been to the province (a viewpoint not at all shared by the writers of this blog). Add to that, the fact that CBC Radio Canada found that PANB leader Kris Austin is not fluent enough in the French language to debate en Francis. Regardless, Lucy Goguen believes in the People’s Alliance and Kris Austin to make a play for it.

For the Progressive Conservatives is incumbent Petitcodiac MLA Sherry Wilson. A business owner, former deputy mayor, former RCMP Victims Services volunteer, and volunteer for D.A.R.E. She hasn’t been given a cabinet post since being elected in 2010, but is a promising candidate.

Another promising candidate is the New Democrat’s Charles Doucet. Like Wilson, Doucet has political experience in Moncton’s City Hall where he serves on the mayor’s advisory committee for downtown revitalization and development. He has degrees from both Universite de Moncton and Dalhousie University. Doucet also has backgrounds in working for both the environment and autism.

Tyson Milner for the Liberals has more than twenty years experience as a business owner in Moncton.

The Greens’ Mathieu LaPlant received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Universite de Moncton in 1999; majoring in journalism and public relations. He describes himself as a person who is deeply concerned with environmentalism and social justice.

Lucy Goguen actually has one of the most detailed personal platforms of any People’s Alliance candidate. She is a nurse at the Moncton City Hospital and wants to bring wage parity into effect. Goguen wants to make the MLA expenses more accountable with online reporting. Checks and balances are a top priority for Goguen. Interestingly, as a nurse, Goguen does not want to prevent fracking in the province; though she (and the PANB as well) want to bring in more regulations and safety standards than those of the PCs. Germany is in the process of banning fracking for both environment and health concerns.

Fighting for Fredericton South

It’s a new riding in the Capital Region. Even when this MLA is at the office, he or she will only need to look out their window to see their constituents. There are already five candidates in the running for this highly desirable riding; Craig Leonard for the PC, Roy Wiggins for the Liberals, former Liberal Kelly Lamrock for the NDP, Green Leader David Coon, and Independent Courtney Mills. The People’s Alliance have until September 2nd to nominate a candidate.

Craig Leonard is an incumbent for the soon to be defunct riding of Fredericton-Lincoln, and current Minister of Energy. Leonard assumed the ministership during a controversial period for the PC party when the former Minister of Energy, Margaret-Ann Blaney resigned just two years after the election to accept a position as CEO of Efficiency New Brunswick. This blatant display of patronage caused quite a stir for Premier Alward; responsible for the appointment of Blaney to the crown corporation. However, Blaney was causing some friction already as her riding executive had accepted donations from highway contractors with the insinuation of a favour being returned.

Roy Wiggins is a former Deputy Sheriff and small business owner who is eager to work with small business both in his riding and across the province should he win on September 22nd. Wiggins is proud of his city of Fredericton; having attended Fredericton High and St. Thomas University. He is currently a mortgage broker with Premiere Mortgage Centre.

One of the names most closely associated with the demise of Shawn Graham’s Liberal government is undoubtedly Kelly Lamrock. Lamrock upset nearly everyone in the province with his decision to eliminate early French immersion in the New Brunswick school system- despite strong opposition from parents, educators, and eductaion experts from across the country. Lamrock refused to concede. There was also a city-wide revolt in Saint John when Lamrock attempted to turn the University of New Brunswick (Saint John campus) into a polytechnic. Professors, students, and alumni marched in solidarity to oppose the plan. Graham then commited a cabinet shuffle and removed Lamrock from the Education Portfolio. How Lamrock became involved with the New Democrats is unclear.

David Coon, leader of the New Brunswick Greens, is the best chance the party has for winning even one seat in the legislature. Green policies are becoming increasingly popular over the last few decades but most mainstream parties have either missed the boat or offered too little to gain in this sector of the electorate. The Green party has made a name for itself by advancing ideas of how to better improve the environment while using these policies to potentially advance local economies (specifically in farming communities). But the Green Party is also burdened by the accusation that their sharp focus on the environment has narrowed their policies to exclude other key items such as industry, education, and healthcare. Coon is unquestionably one of the most experienced, intelligent, and well-meaning candidates in the entire province- but he lacks charisma, personality, and confidence. It will be interesting to see if the election will be enough of a shot in the arm to give Coon the personality he needs to win a seat.

The Miramichi Three

There are three seats to be won in the Miramichi Region; Miramichi, Miramichi Bay-Neguac, and Southwest Miramichi-Bay du Vin. At the time of this writing, the New Democrats, Greens, and People’s Alliance are having trouble finding contenders for these important ridings. The Liberals and Progressive Conservatives have already dug in their heels.

Miramichi Bay-Neguac was narrowly won by Serge Robichaud for the PCs in 2010 over then-incumbent Liberal Carmel Robichaud. In 2006 however, Robichaud easily defeated the PC candidate Guy Vautour. This time, Robichaud will be defending his seat against Liberal Lisa Harris (deputy mayor of Miramichi) and Green Glenn Copeland (an actor and musician famous for childrens’ programs Shining Time Station and Mister Dress Up).

Southwest Miramichi-Bay du Vin is a major swing riding having gone back and forth from Liberal to PC many times. It even once elected a member of the now defunct Confederation of Regions Party in 1991! This has been a diastrous riding for the NDP; they consistantly hit a ceiling of only a few hundred votes. In 2010 the NDP collected 200 votes to the Greens 204 (PC Jake Stewart won with 3792). Stewart is up for re-election against Liberal Norma Smith (a former executive assistant to the former minister of human development and the minister responsible for aboriginal affairs) and PANB Wes Gullison (deputy leader of the PANB).

The real drama unfolds in the new amalgamated riding of Miramichi. Part of this larger riding used to be Miramichi-Bay du Vin and the incumbent Liberal Bill Fraser is making a play for it. However, the majority of the riding (formerly Miramichi Centre) belongs to PC incumbent Robert Trevors. Now the two incumbent MLAs will face off for the single riding. They are joined by independent (and former PC) Michael Malley in what could easily become a tight, threeway race. Malley is a former MLA for the shruken riding of Miramichi-Bay du Vin and who served as party whip for Bernard Lord. Neither the NDP, Greens, nor the PANB have yet to name a candidate for the riding.

The Cowardly Lion

He has experience, a stellar education, a impressive portfolio, and the advantage of office; but David Alward is behaving like the cowardly lion on the yellow brick road to another election. The premier has been involved in more than a few debates on and off the floor of the New Brunswick Legislature but he is refusing to take part in this year’s CBC Leaders’ Debate.

Is it his plummeting approval rating? Is it an excellent attack strategy from the Liberals or New Democrats? No. The Premier refuses to appear because two lesser parties have also been invited. Leaders of the Green Party and People’s Alliance will be joining Brian Gallant and Dominic Cardy when New Brunswick tunes into the exchange of ideologies on September 9th. The Progressive Conservatives demanded that CBC withdraw the invitation to both the Greens and PAND, but when the CBC refused; the PCs left the planning meeting.

The Green Party is taking this as an affirmation of Alward’s fear of being questioned on his weak stance on the environment. The NDP also believe that this is a sign of Alward’s fear on facing the issues.

It is important too to consider this only a small victory for the PANB and Green parties as they are still uninvited from taking part in the French language leaders’ debate. The reasoning being that the leaders of these parties lack the required fluency in the French language.

Even Prime Minister Stephen Harper who is known for a general reluctance to take part in televised events agreed to debate with Federal Green leader Elizabeth May. Alward’s decision is reminiscent of the American Republican Party and their refusal to take part in debates with leaders from any party other than the Democrats. This creates a political dichotomy and polarizes the electorate. This flies in the face of Canadianism and the parliamentary system of idea exchange, bipartisan co-operation, and civility.

CBC has kept the invitation open to Alward, but urge him to reconsider quickly for they can make the necessary changes.

Quispamsis Gave Teachers a Bad Apple

Teachers do not have it easy in New Brunswick. There has been a long, slow, and painful shrinking of funds for education. Teachers and other frontline educators have been given larger class sizes, fewer resources, and more complications than teachers of the past could even consider. Some New Brunswickers may believe that teachers have it too good with summers and weekends off, a strong union, and the undying gratitude of legions of students. That belief is a great fallacy.

The fact is that educators in New Brunswick are not as well paid as those in other jurisdictions. Because of larger class sizes, most educators have to work into the early hours and on their “free weekends”. Consecutive governments in New Brunswick have dwindled away the number of schools in the province while swelling classroom attendence to maximum capacity. Other than adding stress to each teacher in the system, this has also served to shrink the job market for anyone with an education degree. What we have now is a very competitive field and a staggering number of unemployed teachers who have to move out of province to survive.

The only thing teachers in New Brunswick had to look forward to is retirement. As of May of this year, that may have changed. The Honourable member for Quispamsis, one Blaine Higgs, proposed a bill to change teachers’ pensions. The bill (The Teachers’ Pension Plan Act) is a considerable piece of legislation that was rushed through the legislature and given Royal Assent in under a month despite the concerns of those most affected. The New Brunswick Teachers Federation circulated a limited chart comparing the old system with the new. The New Brunswick Union put forward concerns and explained how the new plan will have a reduced Cost of Living Adjustment (a 25% reduction according to the NBU), teachers will be required to pay more into the new plan, also, the new plan has a slightly lower accrual. Another major concern raised by the NBU is the “careful wording” in regards to early retirement penalty. The chart circulated by the NBTF suggests a penalty of 2.5%/index year, which is actually 5%/year as there are two index years within a calendar year.

Blaine Higgs represents Quispamsis and is currently the Minister of Finance. While hurting the pension plans of teachers, Higgs has created tax incentives for the wealthy of the province in an effort to produce may jobs. The unemployment rate in New Brunswick was at 8.5% in 2008 but has risen to an alarming 10.4% for the year of 2013.

The previous MLA for Quispamsis was Liberal Mary Schryer who balanced multiple portfolios including Minister of Health, Minister of Social Development, Minister for the Status of Women, and Minister of State for Seniors and Housing. Schryer has been chosen by her riding association to again run for the seat against Mr Higgs.

Visions of the Future

While we wait for the official platforms to hit the public we may look at the party sites for general party goals and long term plans. Brian Gallant has a very detailed vision for the future; specifically for improving the New Brunswick economy. David Alward has an exhaustive list of policies on energy, healthcare, and the job market. David Coon lists the issues of fixing politics, local economies, and rebuilding forestry. Dominic Cardy lists the issues of education, pensions, social services, competitive taxes, and fiscal responsibility.

If the issues, visions, and policies on each party website is any indication of what will appear in the platforms; we can expect jobs and the economy to top everything. Gallant wants to build a better skill training system in the province. Could that be an echo from the Graham era when the Liberal Party wanted to turn the Saint John campus of the University of New Brunswick into a polytechnique? Coon emphasizes a focus on building up local economy. Where Gallant intends to bring in new training specialized at the current job market requirements, Coon intends to improve the economy by making local crop more accessible, building greener infrastructure, and making renewable energy available to local enterprise.

The NDP have always been the party to emphasize the importance of a strong middle class. Poverty reduction is at the top of their list. Cardy plans on beginning with the basics; literacy and education. This is in sharp contrast to the Progressive Conservatives who have made cuts to education and maintain that staying the course is the proper plan.

Healthcare is the second most discussed item on the board. The NDP has the most assertive plan; adjusting the system to adhere patient needs (not high paid private consultants), create a Helping Hands tax credit for those caregivers of sick or elderly relatives, and protect the employment of front-line employees. The Greens may have the second most aggressive plan with preventative healthcare changes. The Greens want to remove bureaucratic red tape, hire more family doctors, and introduce a bill of rights to protect the citizenry from environment detriments. The Liberals state little at this point other than a general desire to encourage healthier living, healthier choices.

Not surprisingly, at this point the PC idea is to stay the course.

Both the Greens and the People’s Alliance envision a more open, free, and fair democracy. Both parties insist on a free vote for each member with no requirement to tow the party line. The Greens take it one step further with a promise of public consultation on major legislation. In theory, free votes for members implies the Member of the Legislative Assembly would represent their constituency. But if the province collectively elected either of these parties for the party platform; there would be nothing to compel anyone to adhere to said platform.

More details to come as the platforms are released.

Wayne Dryer Goes Green

Wayne Dryer was the New Democrat candidate for Saint John Harbour in 2010 but will be running Green this year!

As speculated in an earlier post, Mr Dryer has officially jumped ship. Or as he suggested at a Green Party Rally held at the Saint John Public Library this year; the New Democrats abandoned him. Wayne ran a nomination bid for the NDP in Saint John Harbour but lost to new candidate Gary Stackhouse, a popular radio personality. Now the former Baptist Minister joins David Coon’s team and runs against Stackhouse in the provincial election.

In 2010, Saint John Harbour was a narrow three way race between Dr Ed Doherty (L), Carl Killen (PC), and Dryer. Killen won the riding with a modest lead. Killen received 1,333 votes, Doherty garnered 1326, and Dryer in third place with 1203. Patty Higgins ran as the Green contestant in 2010 but only won 236 votes (placing the Greens in an embarassing fifth place finish after Independent John Campbell who received 247).

We may expect to see some NDP ballots go with Dryer as he moves to the new party. Dryer will need all the support his name can muster in a riding that placed the Green party behind a relatively unknown non-partisan name.

Courting Carleton

Another safe bet for the Tories is the newly minted riding of Carlton. This riding is David Alward’s and will likely remain so after September 22nd. Carleton is made up of considerable portions of the old riding of Carleton and Woodstock. If ever there was any doubt of Tory gerrymandering (or torymandering if you prefer) look no farther than Carleton. The seat has been all but guaranteed for the premier to retake in the next election. If Alward gets anything less than a landslide it would be a shocker.

At the time of this writing there are only three official candidates; Alward, Thomas Leid (L), and Andrew Clark (G).

Reid and Clark both come from farming backgrounds and are well liked in the riding. Reid went on to become an entrepreneur in the trucking industry while Clark has served in high positions of such boards as the Carleton-Victoria Forest Products Marketing Board and the NB Federation of Woodlot Owners. In an ironic turn of events it is actually the Liberal Reid who has produced a more comprehensive plan on protecting forestry than his Green counterpart. Maybe its not that ironic when you consider that Clark has made his living from the clear cutting of trees.

Alward was born in Massachusettes, USA. He moved to Canada as a youth but returned to the United States for a post secondary education. Perhaps it is because of his American heritage that he has governed more like a Republican than as a loyal Tory. In 2010 Alward won a majority 42 seats in a legislature of 55 seats. However, his approval rating has been on the slide. According to the latest polls, Alward’s PCs are at 28% whereas Brian Gallant’s Liberals are at 53%. This will likely affect the party more than Alward’s own seat. But as the New Democrats have yet to elect a candidate for the riding, the Liberals may have a consolidated left vote and with the benefit of Alward’s slipping approval rating.

The Battle for Hampton

Make no mistake about it; the redrawing of the electoral map was nothing short of gerrymandering. This was done to the full benefit of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick. It would be callous to point a finger at Premier David Alward as any party would likely attempt to position the ridings in their own favour. That fact considered, the new riding of Hampton may be one of the most conservative ridings on the new electoral map. Hampton is made up of the town of Hampton, part of the town of Quispamsis, part of Saint-John Fundy, part of Saint John East, and part of the town of Rothesay.

Of the five nominees running in this new super-riding, two have served under the big blue banner of the PC Party. Gary Crossman is running as the current PC candidate, however he is running against a PC legend; Bev Harrison. Harrison swept a large component of this riding in 2006. Now running as the New Democratic nominee, Harrison will try to recapture the vote against a standing member of his former party.

Harrison served under three PC Premiers; Richard Hatfield, Bernard Lord, and David Alward.

The battle for Hampton will like be between these two names; Harrison and Crossman. Other players on the scene include Liberal candidate John Cairns, Green candidate John Sabine, and People’s Alliance candidate Joan K. Seeley.

John Cairns, like Harrison, is a former school principal. Cairns has also acted as a fundraiser for Saint John Inside Ride which raises money for children with cancer. Harrison had served as a Royal Canadian Air Force reserve and set up an award for Air Cadets and started training the first female cadets prior to a life in politics. Crossman volunteers for the Dr V.A. Snow Centre and the Hampton Food Basket. John Sabine is a former Saint John police officer. Still, credentials likely won’t change this super-riding from voting out of habit. But who will win? Alward’s new American-style conservative or the traditional Tory who found a home in Dominic Cardy’s New NDP?

Cardy overturned the riding’s first choice, one Mr Chris Rendell to make way for Harrison. The decision upset some within the riding association and led to the resignation of riding association president Pat Hanratty. Whether or not that decision was worth it will be determined on September 22nd.

Sept 22nd

Believe it or not there is an election coming up for we New Brunswickers on September 22nd, 2014. The incumbent Progressive Conservatives are led by David Alward; who has had a rather disappointing four years as premier of our beautiful province. When Alward was swept into power with a majority government we were promised a smaller cabinet, less spending, more services, and a different direction from that of former Liberal leader Shawn Graham.

Well, actually Mr Alward has increased the size of cabinet (and in so doing increased the pay for a few ministers). The new Conservative government has actually not changed course on most policies from that of Mr Graham. Most promises made in the 2010 Progressive Conservative platform have not been met (some points have only come to about 50% of what Alward promised us while other platform promises have been dropped entirely). Services have been cut across the board; most notably a recent cut to early education for children with autism. New Brunswick has a very high rate of autism among children and the stepping stones program was already falling short of the requirements for NB- making Alward’s decision to cut the program entirely largely incomprehensible.

The Liberal Party of New Brunswick is being led this year by the young, handsome, and centre-left Brian Gallant. Gallant seems to have galvanized the Liberal body in New Brunswick. Gallant, a charismatic MLA for the riding of Kent has been in the legislature since the by-election in April of 2013. Gallant is so close to the centre of the political spectrum that you may not find much difference between his and the PC Party’s platforms this fall. Gallant has some Liberal favourites on his team; Dr Ed Doherty running for Saint John Habour, Chris Collins in Moncton East, and Denis Landry for the new riding of Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore. In the latest polls Gallant’s Liberals are at 53% to Alward’s 28% (according to Corporate Research Associates).

The Party to watch however may be the polls’ third place party; The New Democrats. Dominic Cardy has assembled a truly eclectic party of fresh faces, former Liberal MLAs (who may resent Gallant’s move to the centre), and even a former Tory; the Honourable Bev Harrison! Two of Cardy’s most interesting candidates (in my humble opinion) are Gary Stackhouse for Saint John Harbour and Brian Duplessis for Fredericton North. Gary Stackhouse is the popular radio host who started a union with six co-workers in 2011 and successfully led a strike against the station who refused increase pay for the employees. Duplessis has an incredibly impressive business record as well as a long record of non-profit work (notably; United Way, Fredericton’s Affordable Housing, and the Community Action Group on Homelessness. Fredericton North truly has the opportunity to vote for an extraordinary change this year.

David Coon is making some waves with his Green Party. The man is easily one of the most knowledgeable of the leaders but lacks the charisma necessary to garner himself too much attention. In person he seems guarded and online is reluctant to make many connections via social media. Still, Coon has more attendees at his Green functions than the New Brunswick Greens have ever seen. Though Coon has some fresh ideas and an innovative plan for recharging New Brunswick’s economy, his candidates are less impressive. It should be noted that there has been some report of former NB NDP candidate Wayne Dryer romancing the Green Party this year after losing the NDP nomination for Saint John Harbour to Gary Stackhouse.

There is also the longshot fifth place party; The People’s Alliance of New Brunswick. As with the last election; they have yet to release a platform but were the first to put up roadside signs. They appear to take no strong stance on any issue other than a free vote for their members. Also, they erected their signs so early that they may have broken one or two election rules already; but that’s just conjecture. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with this group.

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged Brian Gallant, David Alward, David Coon, Dominic Cardy, Election 2014, New Brunswick, PANB

---------- Original message ----------
From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)" <Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca>
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 2020 16:34:26 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks it was comical that a dude named
Windsor made fun of Higgy's choice of a tie when his dubious cabinet
appeared while everybody ignores the fact that a Keith speaks for the
Irving Clan N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

Thank you for taking the time to write to us.

Due to the high volume of emails that we receive daily, please note
that there may be a delay in our response. Thank you for your
understanding.

If you are looking for current information on Coronavirus, please
visit www.gnb.ca/coronavirus<http://www.gnb.ca/coronavirus>.

If this is a Media Request, please contact the Premier’s office at
(506) 453-2144.

Thank you.

Bonjour,

Nous vous remercions d’avoir pris le temps de nous écrire.

Tenant compte du volume élevé de courriels que nous recevons
quotidiennement, il se peut qu’il y ait un délai dans notre réponse.
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Si vous recherchez des informations à jour sur le coronavirus,
veuillez visiter
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Cabinet du premier ministre au 506-453-2144.

Merci.

Office of the Premier/Cabinet du premier ministre
P.O Box/C. P. 6000
Fredericton, New-Brunswick/Nouveau-

Brunswick
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Canada
Tel./Tel. : (506) 453-2144
Email/Courriel:
premier@gnb.ca/premierministre@gnb.ca<mailto:premier@gnb.ca/premier.ministre@gnb.ca>

---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 2020 12:34:20 -0400
Subject: Methinks it was comical that a dude named Windsor made fun of
Higgy's choice of a tie when his dubious cabinet appeared while
everybody ignores the fact that a Keith speaks for the Irving Clan
N'esy Pas?
To: "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, "Robert. Jones"
<Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>, "darrow.macintyre" <darrow.macintyre@cbc.ca>,
"kris.austin" <kris.austin@gnb.ca>, "michelle.conroy"
<michelle.conroy@gnb.ca>, "andrea.anderson-mason"
<andrea.anderson-mason@gnb.ca>, "Ross.Wetmore" <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>,
"jake.stewart" <jake.stewart@gnb.ca>, "Arseneau, Kevin (LEG)"
<Kevin.A.Arseneau@gnb.ca>, "Mitton, Megan (LEG)"
<megan.mitton@gnb.ca>, "robert.mckee" <robert.mckee@gnb.ca>,
"Roger.L.Melanson" <Roger.L.Melanson@gnb.ca>, "robert.gauvin"
<robert.gauvin@gnb.ca>, "David.Akin" <David.Akin@globalnews.ca>,
"Bill.Oliver" <Bill.Oliver@gnb.ca>, marie.comeau@unb.ca,
Richard.Ames@gnb.ca, "Mike.Comeau" <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>, "Holland,
Mike (LEG)" <mike.holland@gnb.ca>, "Mark.Blakely"
<Mark.Blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, "mary.wilson" <mary.wilson@gnb.ca>,
jill.green@gnb.ca, "mckeen.randy" <mckeen.randy@gmail.com>,
"Bill.Blair" <Bill.Blair@parl.gc.ca>, briangallant10
<briangallant10@gmail.com>, "martin.gaudet"
<martin.gaudet@fredericton.ca>, "Roger.Brown"
<Roger.Brown@fredericton.ca>
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>, "carl. davies"
<carl.davies@gnb.ca>, "jeff.carr" <jeff.carr@gnb.ca>, "sherry.wilson"
<sherry.wilson@gnb.ca>

https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies

David Raymond Amos‏ @DavidRayAmos
Replying to @DavidRayAmos @alllibertynews and 49 others
Methinks Andrea Anderson-Mason, Jeff Carr, Jake Stewart, Sherry Wilson
and Ross Wetmore should follow the French comedian Bobby Gauvin's lead
and sit as Independents ASAP and rule over Higgy's circus N'esy Pas?

https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2020/09/several-high-profile-ministers-dropped.html

#cdnpoli #nbpoli

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/new-brunswick-cabinet-unveiled-premier-higgs-1.5743318

Several high-profile ministers dropped as Blaine Higgs unveils new cabinet
Premier appoints 6 women to 16-member cabinet in Tuesday's swearing-in ceremony
Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Sep 29, 2020 2:40 PM AT

157 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.

David Amos
Methinks Higgy and his blogger buddy Chucky had an interesting
conversation yesterday about his former Chief of Staff who was ousted
from cabinet and now expects to be the next Speaker N'esy Pas?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTFiOfUGrrQ

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs confronted by Blogger after new
Cabinet is reveille!!!
Sep 29, 2020
Charles Leblanc

3 Comments

David Amos
Methinks CBC and the their buddies Chucky and Higgy et al must ask
themselves why I save everything I deem important then blog, email and
tweet about it before it evaporates N'esy Pas?

https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2020/09/several-high-profile-ministers-dropped.html

Cyphrinfinity
Look at how much he's adjusting his mask while Charles is making the
comments on this video.

Cody Tuttle
lit!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YUWpI7SDfw

Soon to be name Speaker of the New Brunswick Legislature Bill Oliver
is questioned by Blogger!!!!
Oct 7, 2020
Charles Leblanc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8ocjAl5c6E

Former Agriculture Minister Ross Wetmore is confronted by the Pain in
the Ass Blogger!!!!
Oct 7, 2020
Charles Leblanc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwnB07ZBP7g

Minister of Justice, Public Safety and Attorney General Ted Flemming
is hunted down by a Pest!!!
Oct 7, 2020
Charles Leblanc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnQouRSqXPc

Leader of the People's Alliance Party Kris Austin was ambushed by the
Pain in the Ass Blogger today!
Oct 7, 2020
Charles Leblanc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lqM5rjb800

Green Party Leader David Coon confronted on the New Speaker of the New
Brunswick Legislature!!!!
Oct 7, 2020
Charles Leblanc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E6ulCrRggM

Go Figure what going on in Jake's mind and why Chucky never posted
this video in his blog etc

Oct 2, 2020
Charles Leblanc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5tvhK5N8YM

Methinks Jeffy Baby Car ain't laughing now N'esy Pas?

Oct 2, 2020
Charles Leblanc

Meet Higgy's latest French Leutenant Notice Allain laughing and oking
with Jacques Poitras of CBC in the video above while Car double talks
with Chucky Baby?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_a8lnkDz8Q

Nouveau-Brunswick Vice-Premier Ministre Daniel Allain est confronter
par le tannant Blogger!!!
Sep 22, 2020

Charles Leblanc

https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies

David Raymond Amos‏ @DavidRayAmos
Replying to @DavidRayAmos @alllibertynews and 49 others
Methinks Andrea Anderson-Mason, her MLA cohorts Shephard, Johnson,
Bockus, Wallace, Green, Dunn and both Wilson women no doubt remember
what I said to them or about them and put it in emails to Higgy N'esy
Pas?

https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2020/09/several-high-profile-ministers-dropped.html

#cdnpoli #nbpoli

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/new-brunswick-cabinet-unveiled-premier-higgs-1.5743318

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/new-brunswick-cabinet-unveiled-premier-higgs-1.5743318

Several high-profile ministers dropped as Blaine Higgs unveils new cabinet

Premier appoints 6 women to 16-member cabinet in Tuesday's swearing-in ceremony
Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Sep 29, 2020 2:40 PM AT

"The six Progressive Conservative MLAs who served in Higgs's cabinet
from 2018 until they were dropped Tuesday include high-profile members
Andrea Anderson-Mason, who was attorney general, Jeff Carr who was at
Environment and Local Government, and Jake Stewart who was minister of
Aboriginal affairs. Bill Oliver, Sherry Wilson and Ross Wetmore are
also out."

157 Comments

Michael durant
Don't know why he didn't drop the stone (Fleming) outside or at least
set it onto a seat in the back. Higs isn't the swiftest, or maybe he
is just cuffed and chained about the ankles.

David Amos
Reply to @Michael durant: Methinks that everybody knows that whereas
he booted the only other lawyer he had from cabinet Higgy had no
option to put the mindless Teddy back into the position he held under
Alward's mandate N'esy Pas?

Aaron Allison
The Miramichi river left without a Minster, Bad move by Higgs that he
will regret.

David Trueman
Reply to @Aaron Allison: You voted for Conroy who will be in the very
back row of the legislature. You get what you deserve.

Thomas Imber
Reply to @Aaron Allison: Trevors would have been in Cabinet, but the
francophone-heavy Miramichi Bay-Neguac (which includes parts of the
City of Miramichi), voted for an opposition back bencher (again).

David Amos
Reply to @David Trueman: Methinks you and Higgy et al should not
underestimate the dragon-slayer commonly known as Madame Conroy N''esy
Pas?

Anne Bérubé
Reply to @Aaron Allison: He will not run again at the next election,
so no, he will regret nothing.

Greg Windsor
Premier Higgs, great move wearing the New Brunswick tartan neck tie.
Class act. Yes, for those of you who did not know, New Brunswick has
it's own tartan, as well as a Royal Coat of Arms.....

Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Greg Windsor:
Can we sell it?

David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Perhaps

Terry Tibbs
Reply to @David Amos:
Maybe some cash from the Irving clan for a tartan?

David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Trust that Crown knows that the Irving Clan
already have a tartan etc and that they have been battling my
forefathers for centuries.

Methinks its rather Ironic that Mary Keith speaks for them now N'esy Pas?

David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Methinks whereas you pretend to be a British
comedian you may enjoy a little history N'esy Pas?

Origin of the crest badge – "Robert Bruce, who, when a fugitive from
the court of Edward I., concealed himself in the house of William De
Irwin (William Irvine), his secretary and sword-bearer. William De
Irwin followed the changing fortunes of his royal master; was with him
when he was routed at Methven ; shared his subsequent dangers ; and
was one of the seven who were hidden with him in a copse of holly when
his pursuers passed by. When Bruce came to his own again he made him
Master of the Rolls, and ten years after the battle of Bannockburn,
gave him in free barony the forest of Drum, near Aberdeen. He also
permitted him to use his private badge of three holly leaves, with the
motto, Sub sole sub umbra virens, which are still the arms of the
Irving family."[7]
15th century and clan conflicts

Clan Irvine was often at feud with the neighbouring Clan Keith. Both
clans invaded each other's lands. In 1402, Clan Irvine is said to have
slaughtered an invading war party of Clan Keith at the Battle of
Drumoak.[8

House of Windsor
Badge of the House of Windsor.svg
Badge of the House of Windsor
Parent house Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
(Cadet branch of Wettin)
Country United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms
Etymology Windles-ore (Old English)
Place of origin England
Founded 17 July 1917; 103 years ago
Founder George V
Current head Elizabeth II
Members List of members of the House of Windsor
Connected families

Wettin
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Oldenburg
Glücksburg
Battenberg
Mountbatten

Cadet branches Mountbatten-Windsor

The House of Windsor is the reigning royal house of the United Kingdom
and the other Commonwealth realms. In 1901, the House of Saxe-Coburg
and Gotha (a branch of the House of Wettin) succeeded the House of
Hanover to the British monarchy with the accession of King Edward VII,
son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. In
1917, the name of the royal house was changed from the German
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor because of anti-German
sentiment in the United Kingdom during World War I.[1] There have been
four British monarchs of the House of Windsor since then: George V,
Edward VIII, George VI, and Elizabeth II.

The current head of the house is monarch of sixteen sovereign states.
These are the United Kingdom (where they are based), Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua
New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and
Nevis. As well as these separate monarchies, there are also three
Crown dependencies, fourteen British Overseas Territories and two
associated states of New Zealand.

https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies

David Raymond Amos‏ @DavidRayAmos
Replying to @DavidRayAmos @alllibertynews and 49 others
Methinks Margot Cragg and her hubby Cardy should explain to his boss
Higgy why he should make NB Power quit overcharging the municipalities
for street lights before the vote on the Throne Speech N'esy Pas?

https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2020/11/municipalities-accuse-nb-power-of-over.html

#cdnpoli #nbpoli

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/union-eub-nb-power-street-light-rate-increase-1.4588727

Municipalities accuse NB Power of over-charging for street-light service
Margot Cragg says EUB should make the utility adhere to the rate
standard the board set
Gail Harding · CBC News · Posted: Mar 23, 2018 7:33 PM AT

The Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick executive director Margot
Cragg says NB Power is charging municipalities too much for street
lights. (CBC)

The Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick says NB Power needs to
stop raising the rates it charges for street lights.

In fact, executive director Margot Cragg said the utility not only
needs to stop raising rates — it needs to reduce them.

Cragg says the EUB should make NB Power follow the standard it set for
rate charges for street lights. (Cindy Grant/CBC)

Cragg made a presentation to the Energy and Utilities Board in early
February after the City of Fredericton wrote a letter about the rates
for street lights and the union decided to take on the fight for all
municipalities.

"For Fredericton, the cost in 2017 was over a million dollars," she
said. "For other municipalities in the area, like Oromocto, it was
$340,000 and even for a rural community like Hanwell, it was over
$41,000 … that's a pretty hefty bill."

Cragg said money spent on street lights can't be spent elsewhere.
Another increase

She added the EUB has set a standard to determine the charges to each
rate class.

"So what the EUB has said is that the rate charge for each class
should be about equal to the cost of supply of the service, within a
range of reasonableness."

But Cragg said NB Power is proposing to increase it to 195 per cent of
that cost.

"That's almost double the cost of actually providing the service."

Cragg pointed out the present rate is too high and has been getting
worse year over year. She said in 2015-2016 it was 176 per cent of the
cost of supplying the service.

In 2017-2018 it was 192 per cent of the cost.

"That cost to revenue ratio has been getting worse year over year,"
Cragg said, adding that if the proposed rate is accepted, the ratio
will be even more punitive.
'Optional' service

At its rate hearing last year, NB Power said it considered street
light service optional and not subject to the EUB's fair price
guidelines. It also said the higher prices it charges for street
lights help it to keep prices it charges other customers, such as
homeowners, lower.

At hearings this week, both public intervener Heather Black and EUB
lawyer Ellen Desmond pressed NB Power rate design managers to explain
why they ignore the board's fair price guidelines in setting charges
for both street lights and water heater rentals.

"NB Power doesn't really view street lights as a rate class," said the
utility's rate design specialist Kevin Gibson. But he said it would
follow whatever direction the EUB gives it on the issue.
Follow the standard

Cragg said it's up to the EUB to make NB Power follow the standard it set.

"What the heck, you've set a standard for what should be charged for
each rate class, this is pretty clearly not falling within that, what
are you going to do about it?"

Cragg said the group asked the EUB to set the rate at one that
provides fair pricing for street-lighting services within all
municipalities.

"Any dollar that is spent on excessive pricing for street lighting is
money the municipality can't spend fixing the road, can't spend on the
water services, can't spend on the services and infrastructure you and
I use every single day in our communities," she said.

With files from Information Morning Fredericton

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices

---------- Original message ----------
From: "Higgs, Premier Blaine (PO/CPM)" <Blaine.Higgs@gnb.ca>
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2020 14:31:05 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: RE Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design
Your pal Margot Cragg or her hubby Cardy and all his political buddies
should have explained to you what happened before the last election
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

Thank you for taking the time to write to us.

Due to the high volume of emails that we receive daily, please note
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If you are looking for current information on Coronavirus, please
visit www.gnb.ca/coronavirus<http://www.gnb.ca/coronavirus>.

If this is a Media Request, please contact the Premier’s office at
(506) 453-2144.

Thank you.

Bonjour,

Nous vous remercions d’avoir pris le temps de nous écrire.

Tenant compte du volume élevé de courriels que nous recevons
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Merci.

Office of the Premier/Cabinet du premier ministre
P.O Box/C. P. 6000
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Canada
Tel./Tel. : (506) 453-2144
Email/Courriel:
premier@gnb.ca/premierministre@gnb.ca<mailto:premier@gnb.ca/premier.ministre@gnb.ca>

---------- Original message ----------
From: Katelyn Mcgrath <katelyn.mcgrath@rsc12.ca>
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2020 14:31:05 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: RE Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design
Your pal Margot Cragg or her hubby Cardy and all his political buddies
should have explained to you what happened before the last election
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

I am currently out of the office on maternity leave.

For assistance please contact one of the following staff members:

- For Planning and Inspection services: Brent DesRoches @
Brent.desroches@rsc12.ca

- For all other matters Bev Gullision @ Bev.Gullision@rsc12.ca

---------- Original message ----------
From: "Dubé, Chantal" <chantal.dube@edmundston.ca>
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2020 14:31:10 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: RE Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design
Your pal Margot Cragg or her hubby Cardy and all his political buddies
should have explained to you what happened before the last election
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

Bonjour, (see below for English)

Je suis absente du bureau. Je serai de retour le lundi 9 novembre.

Pour assistance immédiate, veuillez communiquer avec la direction
générale au 739-2115.
--------------------
Hello,

I am out of the office. Will be back on Monday, November 9.

For immediate assistance, please contact the Administration Office at
(506) 739-2115.

Merci / Thank you !

Chantal Dubé
Secrétaire municipale adjointe / Assistant City Clerk
Ville d'/ City of Edmundston
7, chemin Canada Road
Edmundston, NB (Canada) E3V 1T7
edmundston.ca
506.737.6708

---------- Original message ----------
From: Info <info@dieppe.ca>
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2020 14:31:03 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: RE Matter No. 357 - NB Power Rate Design
Your pal Margot Cragg or her hubby Cardy and all his political buddies
should have explained to you what happened before the last election
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>

Accusé de réception

Bonjour,

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Thursday 5 November 2020

Municipalities accuse NB Power of over-charging for street-light service

Dominic Cardy on honesty and accountability from our political leaders

Fairness For Pensioners

Municipalities accuse NB Power of over-charging for street-light service

Margot Cragg says EUB should make the utility adhere to the rate standard the board set

Another increase

'Optional' service

Follow the standard

2020-2021 Board of Directors

RSC Members / Associate Members

RSC Members

Associate Members

Municipal Associations

Gaëtan Thomas New CEO Of N.B. Francophone Business Network

MONCTON – The board of Conseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswick (CÉNB) has named Gaëtan Thomas its new CEO, effective July 6.

Gaëtan Thomas nommé Président-directeur général du CÉNB

Anne-Marie Devost

Jo-Annie Ouellette

Kim Landry

Dominic Cardy on honesty and accountability from our political leaders

2 comments: